THE founder of a North-east Scotland magazine and a former chief executive of broadcasting regulators, Ofcom, are to have honorary degrees bestowed upon them by Aberdeen University later this month.
Aberdeen-born, Diane Morgan, is a graduate of Aberdeen University and subsequently read the Law Tripos at Cambridge. Returning to Aberdeen, she was a law lecturer; a freelance journalist for national and local media; and, in 1974, was the founder of the quality monthly, ‘Leopard Magazine’, which she published until selling the title in 1988.
She has written five histories in the award-winning ‘Villages of Aberdeen’ series; a work on the granite industry and contributed to a study of the architect, Archibald Simpson. Her acclaimed trilogy, on ‘Lost Aberdeen’ was completed last year with the publication of the third volume, Lost Aberdeen: The Freedom Lands.
Lord Carter of Barnes, formerly Stephen Carter, is also an Aberdeen University graduate, who made his name in the communications/technology and media industries. He is currently executive vice-president and chief strategy and marketing officer at Alcatel Lucent Inc, based in Paris.
He began his career at J Walter Thompson, where he was managing director and then chief executive from 1994. Subsequently, he was managing director of NTL UK & Ireland, before serving a term as the founding chief executive of the communications competition regulator – Ofcom.
This was followed by a period in the Labour government, first as chief of strategy to the Prime Minister, and then the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting. He was made a life peer in 2008.