A MAN from near Tenbury who was the first Englishman to become an executive at the global computer software company Microsoft has received recognition of his achievement.
John Leftwich has been awarded a Fellowship from the University of Worcester.
John lives at Rochford, near Tenbury Wells, and is very active in the local community. He is area chairman of the Prince’s Trust and a Worcestershire ambassador.
He also sits on the boards of two local software companies and is a private investor in many promising new businesses in the county.
Before moving to Worcestershire in 2001, Mr Leftwich lived in Paris for six years, where he occupied the position of corporate vice-president of Microsoft, responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He was the first Englishman to achieve the distinction of becoming an executive officer of Microsoft, the most valuable company in the world at that time. Previously, he was marketing director for Microsoft in the UK, Apple UK and Apricot computers.
In total, Mr Leftwich spent more than 20 years in the personal computer industry and is widely regarded as one of its founding fathers.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here