HRH The Duke of Kent presents Queen’s Award for Enterprise

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent was given an insight into the world of recruitment by the UK’s leading supplier of Security Cleared IT experts to the Government when he visited Stoke-on-Trent-based LA International to present a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade.

The Duke was given a private presentation on work undertaken around the world by the company’s IT specialists in cyber security and secure communications during his visit to the company’s headquarters.

LA International is a Government-approved defence contractor and the largest private IT recruitment company in the UK.

It also operates within the European, Telecommunications, Government, Defence and Technology markets in the public and private sectors across 23 countries.

During his visit to the company’s offices at Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, The Duke, who served his country in a military career spanning 21 years, was privately shown case studies highlighting the technical skills put forward by the company to support UK and international clients including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and NATO.

The Duke was also given a presentation charting over 30 years’ success by the company which now employs more than 100 people, has many thousands of IT professionals working on client sites, and this year passed the £200million turnover milestone.

LA International – which has supplied services to nine out of ten of FTSE 100 companies and provides top level IT professionals to employers around the world – was honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this year.

The company’s employees and dignitaries including Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire Ian Dudson CBE and Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent Councillor Jean Bowers enjoyed a champagne reception during the visit.

The Duke of Kent – who is The Queen’s cousin – presented a crystal commemorative award to LA International Chairman and Chief Executive Paul Lukic, who introduced the Royal visitor to some of the company’s employees during the hour-long stay.

Mr Lukic, who founded the company in 1982, said: “It was a tremendous honour and testimony to the hard work of all the staff at LA International that HRH The Duke of Kent was able to visit us to present the Queen’s Award.

“We are all very proud to have been recognised in this way for the contribution the company has made, and continues to make, to British trade at home and overseas.”




Photo caption: HRH The Duke of Kent presents the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade, to LA International Chairman and Chief Executive Paul Lukic.