Entrepreneur and winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell MBE, has received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in recognition of his distinguished contribution to business and enterprise.

Tim is one of a number of honorary graduates who embody the University’s values of inclusivity, social mobility and transforming lives and have been honoured during Sheffield Hallam’s graduation fortnight.

Tim appeared as a contestant in series one of The Apprentice in February 2005 and was hired by Sir Alan Sugar. He is the founder of his own social enterprise, Bright Ideas Trust, and co-author of one of Amazon’s Top 10 business books for 2010, What’s Your Bright Idea? Tim was awarded the MBE for Enterprise Culture in the 2012 New Year’s Honours List.

On receiving his award, Tim said: “It’s an honour to be recognised by Sheffield Hallam, a university that works hard to promote social mobility by improving access to higher education for people from all backgrounds."

"I passionately believe that where you start in life should not determine your future and as one of the country’s most diverse universities, Sheffield Hallam is helping thousands of students each year to shape their futures. Congratulations to all this year’s graduates – don’t hold back, keep pushing forward and use your education as a platform to realise your full potential.”

After his ceremony, Tim attended an event hosted at the Hallam iLab attended by enterprise placement students, iLab tenants and graduates and students who engage with the Enterprise team.

The Hallam i-Lab is a dynamic co-working business incubation space located within Sheffield Hallam University, open to students, graduates and external businesses.

During the event, Tim discussed the ‘transformational impact The Apprentice had on his life’, overcoming imposter syndrome and issues with confidence and how to start out in business with limited resources and knowledge.

On imposter syndrome, Tim said: “You just have to remember, if you don’t do it, somebody else will. So why shouldn't it be you?”

Tim joined Zishi Cornerstone as Marketing Director in 2021 and has supported the company’s link with Sheffield Business School since then. Zishi Cornerstone are an approved partner for the purposes of delivering financial markets teaching on two courses at Sheffield Business School.

Professor Conor Moss, Dean of the College of Business, Technology and Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University said:

“Tim's journey has been anything but simple and straightforward - he has navigated challenges and obstacles along the way. But Tim persevered and now stands as an inspirational role model for our graduates."

“His life shows that you can find success if you take the knowledge and skills from your degree and go solve real problems. If you love what you do, spot issues you can fix, and seize opportunities when they come your way - you too can thrive just like Tim. He grasped every chance to grow and make a difference. And that drive and perseverance are what our graduates need to move forward in today's world.”

Last week also saw Dr Sara Hornby receive an Honorary Doctor of Engineering award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to engineering and innovation through research and development. Sara undertook her degree and PhD at Sheffield Hallam and was the first female graduate in metallurgy.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the banking sector and his continued advocacy for Sheffield as a hub for finance in the North of England, Ian Stuart received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at a ceremony on 16 November. Ian said he was proud of the ‘innovative collaboration’ formed with Hallam and HSBC’s Global Tech Centre based here in Sheffield.

Sathnam Sanghera also received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at a ceremony, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the social sciences through his writing on race, identity and shared British history.

Sathnam said: “It's the stuff of dreams to be honoured like this, especially when you were a kid who couldn't speak English when you started at school, when you grew up in a home without books, and when no one in your family had ever attended university.”

Honorary doctorates are awarded by universities to recognise outstanding achievement in a particular field or service to the broader community. Sheffield Hallam University has been awarding the accolades since gaining status as a university in 1993.