Business Doctorate candidate Lord Bilimoria commemorated for 10 years as university chancellor

The portrait, crafted by Benjamin Sullivan, a renowned portrait artist and the youngest person to be elected to the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, now joins the University’s Research and Cultural Collections. Sullivan’s works, including portraits of notable figures such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, are displayed in public and private collections worldwide, including the National Portrait Gallery.

Clare Mullett, Head of Research and Cultural Collections at the University of Birmingham said “I am absolutely delighted by this portrait of Lord Bilimoria which will be a superb addition to the Campus Art Collection. Benjamin Sullivan has captured a strong likeness, along with the context of the House of Lords and the crests of the University of Birmingham and Lord Bilimoria’s own family. Above all he has captured a sense of the man himself, which I’m sure those that know him will recognise.”

On the cutting edge of academia

Lord Bilimoria, the seventh Chancellor in the University’s 124-year history, has played a key role in its evolution into a cutting-edge institution.

Beyond academia, Lord Bilimoria’s tenure was marked by significant community engagement and international presence. He played a key role in launching the Birmingham in Action fundraising programme in 2019, raising nearly £400 million and achieving one million volunteering hours over 5 years. The University played a pivotal role in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, serving as a main sponsor and hosting the majority of the athlete’s village and several competitions.

Lord Bilimoria also served as President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for 2 years, representing the university at the Dubai Expo, COP26 in Glasgow, and COP28 in Dubai, showcasing pioneering innovations like Hydroflex, the world’s first retrofitted hydrogen-powered train.

The Vice Chancellor remarked that: “Lord Bilimoria is one of our longest serving Chancellors and has played an important role as a powerful advocate and ambassador for the University across the world.

“He has served our community with remarkable distinction for the past decade and will be greatly missed by all who have met him and worked with him. He is passionate about higher education and unwavering in his commitment to the importance of education and research. His desire to heighten the impact of the University’s mission to educate the next generations and solve some of the world’s greatest problems through research has led him to talk to audiences world-wide. He has inspired thousands of students in Edgbaston and Dubai and leaves behind an enduring legacy.”

A history with Cambridge

Lord Bilimoria is a current candidate on Cambridge Judge Business School’s Business Doctorate programme, where he is conducting research into the drivers behind leaders’ effectiveness in small minority religious communities. A previous Chair of the Business School’s Advisory Board (from 2015-2020) and Honorary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, he originally graduated in law from the University of Cambridge.

Karan Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 131 Gold and Grand Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world.