Honorary graduates 2014-15

Carl Gilleard OBE (LLD)

Thursday 17 July 3:00pm

Carl Gilleard recently retired as Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). His early career was spent in human resources, careers guidance and education management. In 1989 he was invited to head up a national agency established to attract top graduate talent into local government, a post he held for nine years before joining AGR.

AGR is the national trade association for businesses, public and private, which recruit and develop graduates for professional and managerial roles. Its members regularly recruit in excess of 30,000 graduates each year. In addition to raising standards in graduate recruitment through advice, information, research and training services, Carl also represented the sector in the media making frequent appearances on TV and radio and in the national press.

Throughout his time at AGR, Carl was involved in task groups and advisory boards of employer and university bodies and central government, several of which were aimed at improving the employability skills of graduates and strengthening links between universities and employers. Carl built up a global network for AGR, including helping to establish a sister association in South Africa.

A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Carl has received a distinguished leadership accolade from the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the USA and numerous lifetime achievement awards. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA).

Carl was awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Year’s Honours List for services to Higher Education and Graduate Employability.