Maltese woman awarded MBE in King Charles' birthday honours

A Maltese businesswoman has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in King Charles' birthday honours. 

Noreen Burroughes (née Cesareo) was recognised for her contribution to promoting women in international trade and entrepreneurship.

Originally from Santa Luċija, Burroughes is an international strategist and marketing expert whose work centres on trade, enterprise, and gender equality.

She described the moment she learned of the award as “surreal”, recalling how she received an official letter from the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street, marked On His Majesty’s Service.

“Opening it and recognising what it meant felt surreal at the time, and I tried to forget about it because I couldn’t really talk about it as it was embargoed until the 14th of June,” she said. “But when the official list was released for the King's Birthday, it became real.”

The Birthday Honours List recognises celebrities and local community heroes for their achievements or service to the UK. The main awards include a Companion of Honour, a knight or dame, OBE, MBE or CBE.

Former England football captain David Beckham, who was awarded a knightood, was among the high profile recipients this year.

'It's thrilling'

Burroughes will attend an awarding ceremony in the next few months. 

She said: “It’s thrilling, but I’m sure the weight of it will sink in once that medal is on my chest. I can look at it then and say I did that!”

A long-standing advocate for women in business, Burroughes is the founding president of the UK chapter of the Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT), and currently serves as its executive vice president on a global level.

In these roles, she has collaborated with UK trade initiatives and multilateral organisations to help shape policy and opportunity for women in global commerce.

She also runs Market Accents, a strategic and marketing consultancy she founded in 2007, and sits on several high-profile boards. These include the business board of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Women and Enterprise, where she chairs the trade task force, the Savvitas Senate, and the World Business Women Board.

She is also a director of both the Malta Business Network Foundation and the UK Chapter Board.

“It is an impressive recognition,” she said of the MBE. “Especially considering that I’m a woman from Malta, and I achieved this based on my work,” she said.

For Burroughes, the honour is not just a personal milestone, but a reflection of her values and collaborative approach.

“I am driven by the desire to see a better world for everyone moving forward, especially in terms of the economy and trade. If we can make it better, why not? It is of benefit to all of us.”

'No-one should be left behind'

Burroughes reflected on the situation in Malta, noting that cultural and structural barriers still hold women back from realising their full economic potential.

“We still have much to realise, as many women don’t even notice when they are unintentionally closing their own doors on their ambitions. Indeed, we have much to learn,” she said. She added that women often miss opportunities to build their own economic empowerment.

“A lot of women may need a confidence boost,” she said. “We all need to believe in ourselves and push forward.”

But changing internal mindsets is not enough, she warned. A wider shift in the way women in business are perceived is also necessary.

“For example, Malta is at the low end of the leader board in terms of recognising the value of women-owned businesses,” she said. 

“No one should be left behind. We are also leaving economic growth and value on the table. Once you open the market to half the population, you open it up to everyone,” Burroughes said.

She added: “If you examine everything through a gender lens, you’ll find that it improves the environment, GDP, and fairness in the country.”