Imagination ceo knighted for services to technology

"I am absolutely delighted and deeply humbled to receive such prestigious recognition," Yassaie said. "This distinguished honour means a great deal to me both personally and professionally. "I have always wanted to make a real difference by what I do and I see this honour not only as a major recognition for past effort but as a real encouragement for the future." Also recognised in the list was University of Southampton professor, David Payne, who received a knighthood for his services to photonics. Professor Payne, who is director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Southampton, is being recognised for his extensive contributions to harnessing light in telecommunications, sensing, and lasers for manufacturing. He commented: "I was recently described by my peers as the man who made phone calls free. While this is an exaggeration, it conveys the profound impact of the optical internet on our daily lives. "Thousands of engineers and scientists worked away in the background and changed our world for the better. When some of us are recognised publically for what we have achieved, it is a wonderful accolade for us all."