THE CHAIRMAN of Made in Britain, Chris Harrop, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s new year’s honours list.
Mr Harrop, who is also the group marketing and sustainability director of building products firm Marshalls plc, has been given the Order of the British Empire for his work to prevent worker exploitation and slavery around the world.
Since 2005 he has spearheaded Marshalls’ efforts to eliminate child labour and bonded labour from its global supply chain – particularly in countries such as India, China and Vietnam – as well improving working conditions.
Chris Harrop said: “Despite this being a huge personal privilege for me, it is sad that slavery remains a scourge on humanity almost twenty years into the 21st century. Even in the UK, there are an estimated 136,000 people trapped in slavery today*. One is too many, wherever they are.”
It is this passion for good working conditions and fair reward that underpins much of his work for Made in Britain, as the organisation promotes its code of conduct to members. “Sustainability and ethics are not just ideals to me but essential foundations of market leadership and values,” he said.
*Link to | The Global Slavery Index
By Made in Britain 5 years ago | By Made in Britain