BABTAC & CIBTAC CEO recognised in Queen’s 2022 Birthday Honours List
By Helena Biggs | 02 June 2022 | Movers & Shakers, News
Lesley Blair, CEO of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) and the Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTAC) has been awarded an MBE for services to the British beauty industry in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List.
Lesley, who has joined the judging panel for the 2022 Scratch Stars Awards, is honoured for being an outstanding ambassador for the beauty sector. She has been on the BABTAC board for over 10 years and a CIBTAC examiner for over 25 years. As well as her responsibilities as CEO and representative on the newly formed sector body for personal care services in government, she contributes to the Aesthetics APPG, Hair & Cosmetology APP’s & Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery APPG as well as the Advisory Panel of The Safety in Beauty Campaign and the HABIC Executive Council (Ireland).
Lesley has led the call for self-regulation in the UK and focused on ensuring that students are informed on how to recognise the importance of fit for purpose qualifications, as well as promoting responsible therapists and businesses in the sector.
Her work to launch the Make Beauty Safe initiative focused on bringing more accountability to the currently unregulated UK beauty industry and campaigning government to introduce legislation to prevent untrained individuals from establishing themselves as ‘professional’ therapists.
On being named in this year’s awards list, Lesley comments: “Since becoming CEO of BABTAC and CIBTAC, my main objective has been to ensure that our organisations lead by example and the beauty industry as a whole continually strives to raise the standard of education and professionalism while ensuring our sector is also recognised for the value it brings to our economy.
“I am so honoured to have been awarded by her Majesty in this year’s Birthday Honours List for something I am so passionate about. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with others, both in and outside our industry, to highlight the full worth of our sector and the urgent need for further regulation and legislation, together with standardisation of fit for purpose qualifications.
“Protecting the ethical, qualified, and professional salons and therapists in our sector with the ultimate objective of ensuring consumer safety and wellbeing remains my goal.”
During the pandemic, Lesley was a trusted sectoral adviser for the government, providing invaluable insight into the workings of the beauty sector and offering solutions in the face of continued challenges and obstacles. Lesley was also appointed to sit on the first recognised Sector Body for Personal Care Services within government on behalf of BABTAC, and also worked concurrently with The Scottish Government contributing to the First Minister’s decision to make £19 million available to support close contact businesses that were affected by the Omicron restrictions.