There are honours that arrive as a celebration of longevity, and then there are honours that feel like a marker of relevance: a recognition not simply of what has been achieved, but of what has been shifted. For Abby Ghafoor, founder and CEO of Arc Management Consulting, being named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s New Year Honours 2026 lands firmly in the latter category.
Awarded for services to Business and to Diversity and Inclusion, the honour recognises a career built on commercial intelligence and sharpened by a principle that has become increasingly rare in modern leadership: that success should be measurable, yes, but also meaningful. Abby is also among a small number of South Asian business leaders to receive the distinction, making the recognition personal in its resonance and powerful in its wider symbolism.
In an era where “inclusion” is too often reduced to a corporate slogan, Abby has built her reputation by treating it as something far more consequential: a standard. A way of working. A non-negotiable.
A leader who understands the brief, and then elevates it
At the heart of Abby’s professional story is a firm grasp of strategy and the ability to translate it into momentum. Under her leadership, Arc Management Consulting has become an award-winning strategic marketing and brand consultancy, working with organisations in the UK and internationally to refine their positioning, define clear direction, and deliver commercial outcomes that aren’t simply promised, but proven.
Arc’s client work spans sectors, including corporate, charitable and institutional organisations. And what emerges, repeatedly, is a particular strength: the capacity to move beyond vague ambition into something more exacting. Abby’s approach is rooted in the language of execution, where vision matters, but delivery matters more. It is a kind of leadership that does not rely on noise, but on results.
This is why her OBE feels so aligned. Not because the British honours system routinely rewards marketing leadership, but because Abby’s version of leadership sits at an intersection that is increasingly defining the future of business: growth and responsibility. Profit and progress. Strategy and social impact.
Business, when done properly, can widen the room
The official citation for Abby’s honour recognises two pillars: business and inclusion. In practice, the two have always been connected in her work.
Alongside her commercial achievements, Abby has become a longstanding advocate for women in leadership and for the development of diverse talent pipelines, pushing the conversation beyond representation and into access. Who gets to progress. Who gets supported. Who gets taken seriously. And, perhaps most importantly, who gets invited into the room before decisions are made, not after.
She currently serves as Chair of the Women in Business Committee at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a role that places her at the centre of the city’s evolving leadership landscape. It is also where Abby’s influence becomes clear: she doesn’t simply participate in the conversation about the future of business, she helps shape its tone and direction.
Her work has contributed to organisations rethinking how they engage and empower diverse talent, how they build teams that last, and how they create cultures that do not require people to shrink themselves in order to succeed. That is not performative inclusion. That is structural change.
“Inclusion and fairness must sit at the heart of decision-making”
Speaking about the honour, Abby shared a message that is both gracious and direct, and entirely in keeping with her professional ethos:
“I am deeply humbled by this recognition. It reflects not only my own journey, but the collective effort of the teams, clients and partners I have had the privilege to work with. I firmly believe that business has the power to create opportunity, strengthen communities and drive lasting change — but this can only happen when inclusion and fairness sit at the heart of decision-making. I am proud of the work we have delivered and excited for what lies ahead.”
It is a statement that does what the best leadership statements should do: it acknowledges the honour, credits the collective, and returns quickly to substance. There is no self-mythology here, only clarity.
It also signals what makes Abby’s success so compelling: she understands the power of business, and refuses to separate it from responsibility.
A decorated career, built on consistency
The OBE adds to a growing list of recognitions that reflect Abby’s standing in British business. She has previously been awarded Businesswoman of the Year, received a Female Leadership Award, and is also a recipient of the Freedom of the City of London, an honour bestowed on individuals who have made notable contributions to the capital.
These accolades trace a through-line. They suggest a leader who has been steadily building, steadily contributing, steadily raising the standard. Not through reinvention, but through consistency.
The consultancy behind the honour: Arc Management Consulting
Arc Management Consulting’s growth mirrors its founder’s values: focused, outcomes-driven, and strategically sharp.
The consultancy works with UK and international brands to drive growth, strengthen positioning, and deliver campaigns and programmes that connect meaningfully with audiences. It partners across sectors, including charities and institutions, offering strategic clarity to organisations that need more than a marketing refresh: they need direction that can hold under pressure.
Under Abby’s leadership, Arc has become not just a consultancy, but a reflection of a specific philosophy: that the best strategies are the ones you can actually live up to.
A defining honour, and a timely one
The King’s New Year Honours can, at times, feel distant from the realities of modern business, but Abby’s OBE lands as a reminder that some leadership does not simply chase trends, it shapes them.
Her recognition matters because it acknowledges the full scope of what business leadership can be. Not only commercial success, but cultural contribution. Not only achievement, but access. Not only performance, but progress.
In a business landscape still learning how to make inclusion real rather than rhetorical, Abby Ghafoor’s honour sends a clear message.
This is what it looks like when a leader builds growth without narrowing the room.
