Congratulations to Ian Hewitt (KES 58-65) who was awarded an MBE, in recognition for services to tennis and charity, in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours.

Ian proceeded to St Edmund Hall, Oxford upon leaving KES where he gained a first, becoming a partner for more than 25 years with Freshfields, a leading international law firm based in London. Within his role he developed a wide experience in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and other commercial transactions.

A former county tennis player for many years for Hampshire (when regular teammates included fellow ex-KES students Keith Wiseman (56-63) and Charles Trippe (54-62), Ian joined the main Committee of The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) and the Wimbledon Championships in 2002, becoming Chairman in December 2019. During his tenure, Ian ably steered the organisation through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic (including cancellation of the 2020 Championships and subsequent recovery) and then, in following years, the difficult issues concerning Russian and Belarusian player participation in light of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Ian was pivotal in establishing and chairing the Wimbledon Foundation, the official charity of the AELTC and The Championships. Now 10 years old, the Wimbledon Foundation invests substantial resources annually through grants to charities locally in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth, nationally and internationally with a view to making a positive difference to people’s lives. Ian stepped down as Wimbledon Chairman after the 2023 Championships and is now a Vice President of the AELTC in recognition of his outstanding 21 years of service. He is also the author of a variety of sport-focused and legal publications.