Lesley Silvester (née Jackson) graduated from the University of Bristol in 1968 with a BA in History and Economics. After graduating, she joined a class of 200 Rolls Royce trainees as one of only two women.

Her career saw her working predominantly in financial services for nearly 40 years, retiring in 2009 as Executive Vice President of Assurant, a 14,000-employee insurance group, with a focus on human capital and strategy.

Based in New York, she has led a variety of philanthropic work and currently chairs the non-profit New York Opera Society Board and the University of Bristol Foundation Inc which works to raise awareness and understanding of the University’s goals and strategies.

Lesley, who also celebrates her birthday today, was nominated for an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Dr Kathreena Kurian, Head of the Brain Tumour Research Centre, which is part of the University’s Institute of Clinical Neuroscience.  

Sir Peter Estlin trained as a chartered accountant in Bristol after graduating from the University with a BSc in Economics and Accounting in 1982. He joined PwC and became a partner in 1993, before switching to a career in banking with Citigroup and later Barclays, where he was interim Group CFO.

Sir Peter was a commissioner for the London Fairness Commission in 2016, Sheriff of the City of London from 2016 to 2017, and Lord Mayor of London from 2018 to 2019. He is also Chair of future.now, a coalition of organisations boosting digital skills across the UK.

In 2018, Sir Peter was made Knight of the Order of St John and a Knight Bachelor in the 2020 New Year Honours.

He was nominated for the honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Professor Mark Clatworthy, a Professor of Accounting in the University’s Department of Accounting and Finance.