Former Mayor of Cambridge George Pippas made honourary fellow of Anglia Ruskin University

Mr Pippas was awarded the accolade during a graduation ceremony at Cambridge Corn Exchange on Thursday (October 18).

An engineer, entrepreneur, active local philanthropist and celebrated Anglia Ruskin alumnus, for the 12 months to May this year, Mr Pippas was also Mayor of Cambridge.

He was born in the village of Paliometocho in Cyprus and served for three years as an officer in the Cypriot National Guard. He then came to the UK to study electronic engineering at CCAT, the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology – one of the institutions that later became part of Anglia Ruskin University.

After graduating from CCAT in 1982, Mr Pippas went into industry at several blue-chip companies.

In 1989 he took up a new role with Polaroid, where he would remain for the next 13 years, rising to the position of European service manager.

In 2002, Mr Pippas left Polaroid, seeking to apply his global business expertise to his own venture in the hospitality industry. As his business prospered, he became involved in local politics.

In May 2017 Mr Pippas was elected mayor of Cambridge, and in doing so became the 811th mayor of Cambridge and the first non-UK European-born citizen to hold the position.

It is customary for mayors of Cambridge to champion two charities during their time in office, and Mr Pippas chose to support Centre 33, which provides confidential support to young people in Cambridgeshire, and The Sick Children’s Trust, based at Addenbrooke’s, for whom George has raised over £15,000 – a new mayoral record.

Professor Iain Martin, vice chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, said: “George has been a valued advocate and ambassador for Anglia Ruskin University, and has spoken to our business school students about careers in technology and global management.”