The Rt. Hon. Justine Greening has received ICAEW’s Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of her work in public service and commitment to social mobility.

Greening, a chartered accountant, was given the award at ICAEW’s flagship Annual Dinner on Tuesday 15 September 2026. She is founder of the Purpose Coalition, which works with business leaders, public sector leaders, educators and policy makers to collaborate on practical solutions to improve social mobility across the UK. 

She is also joint chancellor of the University of Southampton and chair of the Sutton Trust Education Advisory Panel. She is a non-executive director of On The Beach plc. 

Greening qualified as an ACA in 1995 with Price Waterhouse and went on to work in senior roles at companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Centrica. She was elected MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields in 2005. During her 14 years as an MP, she held Cabinet positions for six years, including Secretary of State for International Development from 2012 to 2016. In that role, she led the UK response to the Ebola crisis and helped to shape the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Greening then became Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities from 2016 to 2018, where she made social mobility a focus, pushing for policy that championed skills, access and opportunity. She was the first holder of the office to have been educated at a comprehensive school.

Passionate about social mobility

That interest in social mobility continued after Greening left parliament in 2019. She is founder and chair of the Social Mobility Pledge, which has now been adopted by more than 800 organisations.  The Pledge is a practical framework for employers and educational institutions to widen access to opportunities and progression for all, with the aim of embedding social mobility as an organisational priority. 

The Purpose Coalition has brought together major employers, universities, NHS bodies and local authorities to deliver tangible action on achieving equality of opportunity. The Purpose Goals framework gives organisations a structured approach to removing barriers to opportunity.

Throughout, Greening has advocated data-driven approaches, cross-sector collaboration and long-term accountability, following a ‘measurable, sustainable and impactful’ approach to delivering social mobility.

Within the accountancy profession, Greening has also encouraged better access to careers in finance, supporting initiatives that broaden pathways into the profession. 

Reacting to the win

On receiving the award, Greening said: “This award means a huge amount to me. Qualifying as a chartered accountant gave me a headstart in my career which was such an important part of my own social mobility journey. I look forward to continuing my collaborative work in business and education, and to expand upon opportunities and address the inequalities within our society head on.”

Alan Vallance, ICAEW Chief Executive, added that he was honoured to present Greening with the award, acknowledging her dedication to public service, and her leadership in advancing social mobility and equality of opportunity.

“Justine’s work has covered senior roles in politics, business and her leadership role in social mobility. She continues to make the case for breaking down barriers for opportunity across the UK, and on behalf of ICAEW, we are delighted to present her with this award.”