Julie Kenny

{{Short description|British businesswoman (1957–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = Dame | name = Julie Kenny | honorific_suffix = DBE DL | image = Julie Kenny (cropped).jpg | alt =  | caption = | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth date|1957|8|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|2|21|1957|8|19|df=y}} | death_place = Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England | other_names = | occupation = Businesswoman | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}

'''Dame Julie Ann Kenny''' (19 August 1957 – 21 February 2025) was an English businesswoman who was the interim chair of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and Chair of Trustees of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.<ref name='gov'>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/julie-kenny |title=Chair: Julie Kenny |publisher=Gov.uk |accessdate=14 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/about-us/trustee/ |title=TRUSTEE BIOGRAPHIES: Julie Kenny |publisher=TRUSTEE BIOGRAPHIES |accessdate=14 November 2019}}</ref>

==Life and career== Kenny was born in Sheffield on 19 August 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCormick |first=Sebastian |date=24 February 2025 |title=Tributes to 'force of nature' Dame Julie Kenny after sudden death |url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/tributes-dame-julie-kenny-a-31072786 |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=Yorkshire Live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2011 |title=Profile – Julie Kenny: Looking forward to the end of an era and an enterprising new start |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/profile-julie-kenny-looking-forward-to-the-end-of-an-era-and-an-enterprising-new-start-1943939 |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=The Yorkshire Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 December 2019 |title=Kenny, Dame Julie (Ann), (born 19 Aug. 1957), DL; Chairman and Chief Executive (formerly Managing Director), Pyronix Ltd, 1986–2016; Chief Executive and Chairman, Secure Holdings Ltd, 2011–16 |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-276884 |url-access=subscription |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=Who's Who (UK) |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U276884}}</ref>

Kenny was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours for services to industry in Yorkshire and Humberside .<ref name="gov" /><ref>UK list {{londongazette|date=31 December 2001|supp=1|issue=56430|page=8}}</ref> Kenny also served as a Deputy Lieutenant for South Yorkshire from 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southyorks.gov.uk/JAGUHome/LieutenancyHome/DeputyLieutenants.aspx |title=Deputy Lieutenants | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203072359/http://www.southyorks.gov.uk/JAGUHome/LieutenancyHome/DeputyLieutenants.aspx |archive-date=3 February 2020 |publisher=County of South Yorkshire |accessdate=14 November 2019}}</ref> In 2006, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/honorary-awards/julie-kenny-cbe-dl |title=Julie Kenny CBE DL, Honorary Doctorate 2006 |publisher=Sheffield Hallam University |accessdate=14 November 2019}}</ref>

In 2014, Kenny was announced as the Private Businesswoman of the Year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/business/news/2014/sep/11/julie-kenny-wins-private-business-woman-of-the-year-2014 |title=Julie Kenny wins Private Business Woman of the Year 2014 |date=11 September 2014 |work=Welcome to Sheffield}}</ref>

thumbnail|upright|Kenny in 2017

Kenny was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to heritage.<ref>{{londongazette|date=8 June 2019|supp=y|issue=62666|page=B8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/queen-birthday-honours-list-2019-full-mbe-obe-cbe-knighthood-damehood-everyone-499903 |title=Queen's birthday honours list 2019: full list of everyone being recognised this year |author1=David Hughes |date=23 June 2019}}</ref>

Kenny was appointed a commissioner of Historic England by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport in February 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL appointed Commissioner of Historic England |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dame-julie-kenny-dbe-dl-appointed-commissioner-of-historic-england |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>

Kenny died after a short illness at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, on 21 February 2025, at the age of 67.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davison |first=Jo |date=24 February 2025 |title=Tributes paid to 'remarkable' Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL |url=https://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/people/tributes-paid-to-remarkable-dame-julie-kenny-dbe-dl-5004690 |access-date=24 February 2025 |website=Rotherham Advertiser}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenny, Julie}} Category:1957 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deputy lieutenants of South Yorkshire Category:Businesspeople from Sheffield Category:21st-century English businesswomen