LSE alumni and staff recognised in King’s New Year Honours 2025

Annika V Bosanquet CBE
(BSc Anthropology 1996)

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Annika is the Co-Founder of Wrapology, a global packaging business. A business leader and advocate for innovation in both Industry and the Arts, Annika is committed to supporting entrepreneurs who are focused on creating meaningful, positive impacts within their communities.

With a proven track record as the founder of multiple startups, Annika collaborates with high-performance brand teams, guiding them through the critical stages of launching and driving demand for innovative products and services in new markets, or becoming more meaningful in existing ones.

In recognition of her contributions to business, Annika was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours List 2025, underscoring her dedication to fostering growth and excellence in the entrepreneurial field.

Alastair John Da Costa CBE
(MSc Development Management 2014)

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Alastair has extensive leadership experience in the professional services sector and in the further and higher education sectors.

Alastair is Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor at the University of Leeds and he was a board member and Chair of Capital City College Group for 13 years, one of the largest further education providers in the UK; he has also served on the Councils of the London School of Economics and the University of Sussex.

Alastair is a qualified solicitor and he has been a partner and shareholder in a number of professional services organisations, including having a long career with international law firm DLA Piper, where he was a Corporate Partner, Managing Director (for Asia Pacific and Middle East), Global Board and Executive member.

Alastair also served on the Council/Board of LSE from 2017 to 2022. Between 2018 and 2021, Alastair served as a Commissioner to the UK Government’s Social Mobility Commission and was lead commissioner for further education and adult skills.

Alongside his LSE degree, Alastair has a Law degree from the University of Leeds.

Alastair received his CBE for services to Further Education.

Dr Dana Denis-Smith
(BSc International History 1999, MSc Political Economy 2000)

Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Dana is an award-winning entrepreneur, leading campaigner for equality, TEDx speaker, philanthropist and CEO. An avid activist for the place of women in law, she founded Obelisk Support in 2010, and the First 100 Years project in 2014.

She is a TEDx speaker and regularly speaks at industry events and in the media on gender equality in the legal profession and has been recognised with a litany of awards for her efforts and achievements.

Dana received her OBE for services to women in the legal profession.

Sir Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman CBE
(MSc Economic History 1977, MPhil Economic History 1981)

Knighthood

Sir Loyd is Chair of The Royal Parks. He is also Chair of the Royal Society of Arts and was formerly Chair of the Churches Conservation Trust. Alongside his LSE degrees, Sir Loyd also has an MPhil History of Art & Architecture (2009) and PhD History of Art & Architecture (2014) from Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Sir Loyd received his Knighthood for services to Heritage.

Sir Ranil M. Jayawardena
(BSc Government 2008)

Knighthood

Sir Ranil served as the Conservative MP for North East Hampshire in 2015 until 2024. He was Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2022 and was Minister for International Trade from 2020 to 2022. Previously, Sir Ranil was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.

Sir Ranil received his Knighthood for Political and Public Service.

Catherine Elizabeth Lewis La Torre CBE
(BSc Social Policy 1987, Executive MPA 2021)

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Catherine has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry, specialising in alternative investments including private equity, private credit and technology investing. She is a former Chief Executive of the British Business Bank as well as its private capital investment entities, British Business Investments and British Patient Capital. Catherine was Chair of the Bank’s Investment Committees and throughout her tenure at the Bank worked alongside the most senior members of the UK Government on the launch and scale-up of several debt and equity investment programmes and direct investment funds. Prior to joining the Bank, Catherine operated as a founder of, and partner in, several European and US private equity firms. She has lived and worked in six European countries. In these roles, Catherine managed funds on behalf of institutional investors globally and advised Sovereign Wealth Funds on their private capital strategies.

Catherine is an Independent Director of Alantra, a global financial services firm listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange, and a Non-Executive Director of Cumulus Oncology, a biotech with a mission to accelerate oncology innovation into world changing impact.

Catherine has been granted the Freedom of the City of London and was named as one of the InspiringFifty Women in Tech in 2024. She has been listed in the Cranfield School of Management’s Women to Watch, Real Deals Top 20 Most Influential and the P2P Power 50.

Catherine was awarded her CBE for services to Business.

Sravya Rao OBE
(Executive Master of Public Policy 2022)

Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Sravya is the Deputy Director Economy & Strategic Analysis in the Department for Business and Trade.

Sravya received her OBE for Public Service.

Sir Bryan Kaye Sanderson CBE
(BSc Economics 1962)

Knighthood

Sir Bryan was the Chair of the UK Government’s Low Pay Commission, which sets the national minimum wage. Sir Bryan was also a Managing Director of British Petroleum and CEO of BP Chemicals, Chair at the Standard Chartered Bank, Northern Rock, the Learning and Skills Council, BUPA and the Florence Nightingale Foundation charity.

Sir Bryan received his Knighthood for services to the Labour Market.

Professor Almudena Sevilla CBE
(Professor of Economic and Social Policy)

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Professor Sevilla is the Founder and current Chair of the Royal Economic Society UK Women in Economics Network and the director of the LSE Women in Social and Public Policy Research Hub. Professor Sevilla is also a founder and steering committee member of the Economics of Diversity, Gender, and Equality Network and former Chair of the Royal Economic Society Women’s Committee.

Professor Sevilla earned her PhD in Economics at Brown University in 2004. She is renowned for her research on the economic role of women and how policies like pay transparency and anti-harassment laws optimise talent allocation and productivity, leading to stronger, more sustainable growth.

Professor Sevilla received her CBE for services to Economics and to Women in Economics.