The award was made in recognition of the huge contribution Paul personally and Sennheiser UK Ltd have made to the University's School of Applied Production & New Media.
Paul was amongst a distinguished gathering of individuals being honoured at Bucks New University's graduation ceremonies held at Wycombe Swan Theatre during the week of 9-13 September.
"I am proud and honoured to receive this award in recognition of my years of involvement in the audio industry," says Paul. "At Sennheiser, we believe in the investment into education - this is where the future audio specialists are born, it is a great business to be involved in."
The School of Applied Production & New Media at Bucks New University covers a wide range of technology and production-based disciplines. It has a strong focus on developing the skills and knowledge synonymous with the creative industries, and has benefited from a large amount of support from Sennheiser.
In addition to the supply of audio equipment, scholarships, bursaries, paid internships, industry master classes and long-term equipment loans, Sennheiser UK also provides the University with contract and consultancy work which includes developing media assets for online delivery and viral marketing applications.
Paul has worked at Sennheiser for the majority of his working life, spending the first 14 years of his career in sales engineering prior to managing the sales and marketing function. Following a request to help establish a new subsidiary for Sennheiser in the UK, Paul set up Sennheiser UK in October 1990, which was based in Loudwater.
At the beginning of 1993, Paul was promoted from Sales and Marketing Manager to the role of Managing Director, and in 1995 the company moved to larger premises on the Cressex Estate in High Wycombe.
Since then, the business has grown from 13 to 70 people with a turnover of £45 million and has recently moved to new premises in Marlow; a success that Paul attributes to focusing on developing a highly motivated team who share his passion for success. In 2006 he was asked to take on his current role as President of Global Sales and was invited to join the Executive Management Board for the Sennheiser Group.
In recent years Paul has supported the setting up of various education scholarship schemes with institutions such as the National Film & Television School (NFTS), The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, and of course, Buckinghamshire New University.
Professor Ruth Farwell, Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, said, "We are very pleased that Paul Whiting has accepted our invitation to receive an honorary award. Paul is amongst a celebrated group of honorary awardees, who are chosen in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their fields, and because they are an inspiration to our graduating students."
Two students who have directly benefited over the past year are Jamie Leeming and Gemma Robinson, who both graduated in September. Both received Sennheiser sponsorship and were lucky to be given internship placements within Sennheiser UK's marketing department.
"This internship has allowed me to take the skills I have learnt in the lecture theatre and use them in a practical environment, further developing them into fully useable qualities that any employer would want," says Jamie. "It's helped further my practical understanding of how a business operates outside of my direct role and has provided me with a greater appreciation for how each division of the business contributes to the overall success of a globally established business."
"Networking and industry relationships, in my opinion, are as important as your university degree, which is why my internship at Sennheiser was so important when finishing my studies," adds Gemma. "Being active in the music industry really helps you take the content of your degree and put it into practice in a music business environment."