Professor Adam Boddison, former Chief Executive of nasen, has been named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List.

Professor Adam Boddison, former Chief Executive of nasen, has been named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List. Adam is currently Chief Executive of Association for Project Management (APM).

The honour has been awarded in recognition of Prof Boddison’s work with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In his previous role as Chief Executive of nasen, the National Association for Special Educational Needs, Professor Boddison played a leading role in providing support and championing those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences; something he remains passionate about in his role at APM.

In addition to his leadership of nasen, Prof Boddison was Director of the Centre for Professional Education at the University of Warwick and Academic Principal for IGGY, a global educational social network for gifted teenagers. He is also a Trustee at a multi-academy trust spanning more than 50 primary, secondary and special schools and Chair of the Corporation at Coventry College for Further Education.

The recommendation for the honour was made to His Majesty The King by the Prime Minister, on the advice of the independent Main Honours Committee following an independent assessment process.

Commenting on the announcement, Prof Boddison said: “I am truly honoured and humbled to be recommended for this honour.

“As someone who has spent many years working in the education sector – as well as being a parent – helping young people thrive and succeed is something that is very close to my heart. I am therefore delighted to be recognised for my work in this field; work I aspire to continue with APM as we make the project profession accessible as a career of first choice.

“Being a leader in any sector or organisation is a great privilege and one that carries significant responsibilities. Throughout my career, I have had the good fortune of working with many amazing people whose talent, enthusiasm and dedication have been a source of inspiration to me. I would like to thank them all for supporting me on my leadership journey. I hope to continue to use my platform to inspire others in the same way, so that APM can fulfil its goals of being an outstanding professional body that provides leadership of the project profession.”

As an educational charity, APM is committed to developing and promoting the value of project management in order to deliver improved project outcomes for the benefit of society. This includes helping young people develop the skills and abilities that will help them deliver the projects of the future.

Milla Mazilu, Chair of APM’s Board of Trustees, said: “I am thrilled to congratulate Adam on this success. He showed great leadership in his previous roles in the education sector, where he worked with children and young people with special educational needs. Since joining us, Adam has continued to demonstrate the skills and qualities of a great leader and I know he will continue to take APM and the profession forward.”

Chief executive of nasen Annamarie Hassall MBE said “Together with the Board and staff team at nasen, I would like to congratulate my predecessor at nasen, Professor Adam Boddison on his OBE for services to children and young people with SEND. This honour is due in recognition of an incredibly hard working, talented and dedicated individual. I have had the honour and pleasure of working with and knowing Adam in the sector for a number of years, and I am delighted that his contribution to the sector has been recognised. 

Adam dedicated himself to nasen as CEO between 2016 – 2020, helping to ensure that education is inclusive for all children and young people, before joining the Association for Project Management. He continues to remain a close friend and advocate of the charity”.