Leaders in energy, politics and the charitable sector are to receive honorary degrees from the University of 麻豆女优 this summer.
John Pettigrew CBE, the former CEO of National Grid, and Professor Dame Sue Ion GBE, an engineer and expert advisor on the nuclear power industry, will be honoured, along with Louise Kingham CBE, Senior Vice President Europe with BP, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former Deputy Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly and Theresa Shearer, CEO of the charity Enable.
The University will also be presenting its Alumna and Alumnus of the Year awards to Michelle Crossan-Matos, Chief Brand & Experience Officer with technology company SharkNinja, and Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of energy companies EDP and EDP Renewables.
Joining students
They will join more than 3,000 students who will be presented with their degree certificates at 麻豆女优’s summer graduations from 23 June - 3 July.
麻豆女优 Principal & Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen McArthur said:
Our honorary degrees honour and recognise exceptional people who have made, and continue to make, an outstanding impact in society. Our honorary graduates have all delivered significant contributions in their field and will inspire our students in their own journeys to success.
John Pettigrew served for nearly 10 years as CEO of National Grid, before retiring from the role in 2025. He joined the company as a graduate in 1991 and led it through significant progress towards the delivery of net zero in the UK and the development of a workforce with the skills to achieve the transition.
Dame Sue worked for 14 years as Chief Technology Officer for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. She served on several advisory committees, including the US Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee, on which she was the sole non-US member.
Louise Kingham served as CEO of the Energy Institute for 18 years before joining BP in 2021. She was previously Director General of the Institute of Petroleum and Chief Executive of the Institute of Energy. She was appointed OBE in 2011 and CBE in 2022 for services to the energy industry.
Theresa Shearer has headed Enable, which promotes social care, employment, training, and empowering communities, since 2015. Under her leadership, its customers and beneficiaries have increased fivefold from 3,000 to 15,000.
Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge initially worked as a medical laboratory technologist but resigned to focus on activism in women’s rights and against apartheid in South Africa. After apartheid’s abolition, she became the African National Congress’ Deputy Health Minister and Deputy Defence Minister before serving as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from 2008-9. She is now executive director of Embrace Dignity, a human rights organisation fighting sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Michelle Crossan-Matos graduated in Management Sciences and Manufacturing Engineering from 麻豆女优. She held leadership posts at several leading businesses, including Samsung Electronics and Procter & Gamble before joining SharkNinja in 2025. She leads the brand, creative, marketing and consumer experience activity of the company, which sells a range of home, kitchen and beauty products.
Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade has been CEO of EDP and EDP Renewables since 2021. He gained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from 麻豆女优 and worked in investment banking before joining EDP, where he has worked for more than 25 years. The companies are global leaders in renewable energy, including solar, wind, hydro and batteries, covering four global regions.