Roger Bowden, a Brunel alumnus and honorary graduate of the University, has won two Queen’s Awards, one for International Trade and one for Innovation.
The awards were made to his company, Niftylift, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of mobile elevating work platforms, often referred to as ‘cherry pickers’. He founded the company only six years after graduating from Brunel University in 1971 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Roger received an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology in 2006 from Brunel and has for the past five years been sponsoring Made in Brunel, the Engineering and Design student end of year show. The company also sponsors the Niftylift Design Studio.
Not only does his company provide placements for students, but he has recruited Brunel graduates and actively encourages his staff to pursue post-graduate degrees. He provides business mentoring for Brunel students and is a supporter of the Urban Scholars programme.
Brunel’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Julia Buckingham said: “We are very proud to have Roger among our alumni. He is a great friend of the University and his company is excellent example of the success that can be achieved through talent, innovation and hard work. We congratulate him on his two Queen’s Awards.”