ONE of Malvern's leading businessmen has been awarded a fellowship by the University of Worcester.

Paul Walker, managing director of award winning Malvern Instruments on Enigma Business Park, received his accolade at a ceremony in Worcester Cathedral.

He said: "“The University has become an important part of our business success over the past five years and we have worked ever more closely at a number of levels to understand how Worcestershire can benefit from a much closer association between the University and the business community. I feel very honoured to made a Fellow of the University and take great pride in being associated in this special way with an institution that has been such an outstanding success.”

Mr Walker was appointed managing director of Malvern Instruments in 1995. The company is a world leader in the design and manufacture of scientific instrumentation used for the analysis of particle properties and currently employs around 340 staff in the UK and approaching 480 in locations around the world. Its sales top £120m per annum and it has won seven Queen’s Awards for both export and technical achievement.

Mr Walker has been a long-term supporter of the University providing work placements for the Worcester Business School students and ultimately employing the University’s graduates. His staff have also benefitted from a leadership and management programme developed in conjunction with the Worcester Business School which has to date trained 150 of the company’s staff.

Since 1999 he has been a non-executive director of Malvern Hills Science Park and served as chairman of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce for five years. In 2012 he was made an MBE for services to local and international business.