North-east businesswoman and entrepreneur Jeanette Forbes OBE is to be awarded honorary degrees by Aberdeen’s two universities within a week.

Today (Thursday June 29), she is being conferred with an Honorary Degree of Master of the University (MUniv) at the University of Aberdeen summer graduation ceremony at the P&J Live. Next week, also at P&J Live, she will receive an Honorary Degree of Business Administration (DBA) from Robert Gordon University at its graduation ceremony on July 5.

Originally from Yorkshire, Jeanette moved to Aberdeen in 1986 and has lived, worked, and built successful businesses here ever since. In 2020, she was awarded an OBE for her services to business, technology, and charity.

“Aberdeen has been my home for 37 years, it’s where my family was raised and I have always felt very grateful for the career opportunities it has given me,” she said. “It’s a complete honour and privilege therefore to be recognised by our two first class universities in this way.

“Both play a part in developing the talent pipeline of the future and I have seen at first hand what their graduates have achieved across all walks of life.  Some remarkable people have been honoured by both universities over the years, and it is very humbling to be included in their ranks.”

A qualified systems engineer, Jeanette founded her first company, PCL Group, in 2000. Since then the company, which provides a full range of information technology services, has grown year on year and now services clients in 27 countries across five sectors. In 2017, she founded her second business, Aberdeen’s multi-award-winning Grape & Grain wine bar and she is currently working on another project, due to open in autumn, which will bring something very different to Aberdeen.

She also holds senior management positions on two other young companies, as CEO of Blue Gentoo and a Director of OMMICA, both of which are involved in developing ground-breaking technology for both new Energy Tech and the Net Zero sectors.

Over the years, Jeanette has won many national awards and industry accolades which recognise her role as a business leader, serial entrepreneur and mentor and her commitment to encouraging and promoting career opportunities for women in energy and technology.