The University of Bradford has awarded Dame Irene Hays an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her extraordinary achievements in business, public service, and her lifelong commitment to social and economic inclusion.

"It means a great deal," Dame Irene says of the award. "To be recognised outside my home region, in a place with such a strong reputation for equality and inclusion, is very special."

From Town Hall to Boardroom

Born and raised in the North East, Dame Irene began her career in local government, eventually becoming Chief Executive of both Sunderland and South Tyneside Councils. Her trajectory then took her to Whitehall, where she held senior civil service posts including Director General for Local Government and Regeneration, and later, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Despite the weight of these responsibilities, she never lost touch with her core purpose: "I've always been passionate about giving young people opportunities to thrive," she says. "That's been a golden thread through everything I've done."

That passion found renewed purpose when she left central government in 2012 to join her late husband John Hays in running Hays Travel, the family business he founded in 1980. Under their joint stewardship - and later Irene's sole leadership - the business blossomed. Perhaps most notably, Hays Travel stepped in to rescue Thomas Cook in 2019, saving more than 2,000 jobs just months before the start of the Covid pandemic, which saw the travel industry grind to a halt.

The Heart of the High Street

Since then, the company has expanded even further. With nearly 500 branches, 700 homeworking travel agents, and a network of 120 independent agencies, Hays Travel reached a record £3 billion turnover in March 2025. To mark the achievement, Dame Irene awarded every employee - from cleaners to senior managers - £100 for each year of service - a testament to the loyalty she both inspires and rewards.

Loyalty is one of the company's SMILE values: Supportive, Motivational, Innovative, Loyal and Excellence.

She said: "When we talk about loyalty, we're talking about recognising that every person in the business - no matter their role - has contributed to our success and made a difference."

That belief in people was clear in a formative story Dame Irene shared from her early days in public service. While overseeing a disciplinary process for a young apprentice, she was moved by the faith shown in the boy by his mentor. Despite pressure to let him go, she backed giving him one final chance. "He just needed someone to stick up for him," she recalls. "He went on to become a depot manager for the local bus company. I love encouraging young people to succeed and I've seen the results; so, that's where it came from."

Investing in the Future

Through the Hays Travel Foundation, Dame Irene has institutionalised that belief. Since its launch in 2015, the Foundation has donated £2 million to projects focused on improving the lives of young people in sport, the arts, education and health. Over 350 charities have benefited, helping more than 43,000 young people to date.

The impact is tangible in Bradford and its surrounding areas, too. Foundation funding has provided a new minibus for disabled athletes in Keighley and Skipton, and free dance classes for disadvantaged youth in North Seacroft, Leeds.

Every Hays Travel branch also receives £500 annually to support local community causes- with £200 earmarked for youth mental health projects. "We don't dictate what they spend it on," she says. "We empower them to choose what matters locally."

Leadership with Purpose

While Dame Irene may carry the accolades of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and chair a £3bn business, she remains grounded in values that are as personal as they are professional.

"When John died in 2020, I knew I had to protect what we'd built - not for me, but for our customers, and the 4,500 people who rely on this business for their livelihoods," she says.

That sense of responsibility fuels her leadership. From paying loyalty bonuses to promoting former apprentices into senior management, she leads by example. One such apprentice, who joined Hays Travel at 16 and once struggled academically, is now Chief Operating Officer.

Advice to graduates

Asked what advice she'd give to young people, she says: "Every mistake is a learning experience. I've never been the brightest or the fastest but I have been lucky to work with people who believed in me and I'm pretty good at asking questions when I don't understand something. To the students and graduates of today, I would say if you're curious and work hard, anything is possible."