Dame Cilla Snowball is among those receiving honorary degrees from the University of Birmingham this year.

Dame Cilla, who did BA French at the University of Birmingham, joined AMV BBDO in 1992 as the advertising agency’s first New Business Director. Twenty five years later, she now oversees the three companies that comprise the AMV Group in the UK – AMV BBDO, Proximity and Redwood. Cilla sits on the boards of BBDO Worldwide and Derwent London plc and chairs the Women's Business Council. She was awarded the CBE in the 2009 New Year Honours list for services to the advertising industry.