Smith and Nephew chairman receives knighthood

Smith and Nephew has welcomed news that its chairman Dr John Buchanan has received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours List.

Dr Buchanan has been presented with the prestigious honour in recognition of his services to British industry, having served in key roles at a number of global businesses and enterprises.

He joined the board of Smith and Nephew in 2005 and was appointed chairman the following year, while his other current roles include positions at Vodafone, Ondra Bank, BHP Billiton and the International Chamber of Commerce.

Olivier Bohuon, the medical technology firm's chief executive officer, passed on congratulations to Dr Buchanan on behalf of the entire organisation.

"Anyone who has had the pleasure of working alongside him will know this is richly deserved and a broader recognition of his leadership and track record in building successful global industrial enterprises," he added.

This comes after the company added further expertise to its board last month by appointing Ajay Piramal, chairman of Piramal Group, as a non-executive director.