ALONGSIDE famous names including singer-songwriter Gary Barlow and choirmaster and broadcaster Gareth Malone, Nissan is delighted to announce that Jerry Hardcastle, Vice President, Nissan Technical Centre Europe, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
On receiving the honour, made in recognition of his services to the UK automotive industry, Hardcastle said: ‘What a wonderful and unexpected moment.
‘The achievement of this award has been made possible by the unwavering support of my family, the generous contribution from my colleagues at Nissan and the professional guidance from the members of the UK Automotive Council.’
Hardcastle has been a key part of Nissan’s operations for 23 years. Based at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield, he has overseen the design and development of the Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Juke, as well as special projects such as the Juke-R.
Through his involvement in the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT) Jerry contributed to the creation of the UK Automotive Council and currently holds the position of Chairman of the Technology Group which directly advises on UK automotive technology strategy.
Outstanding service
He continued: ‘While I am honoured and extremely delighted to receive such an award, this is a recognition of the success of Nissan in the UK and highlights the importance of collaboration, through the Automotive Council, between government and industry partners to develop a stronger and more competitive automotive industry in the UK.’
In 2010 the UK Institute of Mechanical Engineers (Automobile Division) also presented Hardcastle with the Crompton Lanchester Medal for outstanding service considered to have special influence on the advancement of automobile engineering.