University honours Helen E.R. Sayles CBE
A distinguished Heriot-Watt graduate who rose through the ranks of a Fortune 100 insurance company and is a longstanding advocate for higher education has been awarded an honorary degree today (3 Dec).
Helen E.R. Sayles CBE was conferred with the academic title of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) during the Winter Graduations at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus this week.
Helen, who was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and now resides in Massachusetts, was nominated for this prestigious honour in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the insurance industry, her tireless promotion of Scottish organisations in the US, and her enduring commitment to Heriot-Watt University.
I am very grateful to Heriot Watt University for not only giving me the excellent education which provided the basis for my own success in business, but also for this incredible honour, which was unexpected and a wonderful recognition of what I have tried to do to help others succeed.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce from Heriot-Watt in 1972, Helen later emigrated to the US, where she joined Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group in 1992. She rapidly rose through the ranks to eventually reach the position of Senior Vice President and Manager of Human Resources and Administration. She played a pivotal role in developing innovative HR processes, establishing Human Resource metrics that aligned with business goals, and introducing web-based technologies as well as shaping the company’s real estate and administrative strategies,
In addition to her distinguished career, Helen maintained a deep connection with Heriot-Watt. She served as Director of the American Friends of Heriot-Watt University from 2008 to 2017 and facilitated student internships. More recently, she helped strengthen ties between the University and its US alumni by hosting an alumni event in New York and actively participating in the 1821 Appeal Campaign Board, raising critical funds to improve access to higher education. In 2023, she funded a scholarship in perpetuity for a female student in the Actuarial Sciences Department of the University.
Her longstanding dedication to expanding opportunities and supporting the academic pursuits of others reflects Heriot-Watt’s mission of fostering talent through purpose-driven education.
Since her retirement from Liberty Mutual in 2012, Helen has continued to support causes close to her heart, currently serving as Chair of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA and as a Trustee of the New England Historical & Genealogical Society. She also helped to found the Saltire Foundation, later Entrepreneurial Scotland, which helped over 2000 students in Scottish Universities gain skills and experience through domestic and international internships, serving as a Director of Entrepreneurial Scotland until 2021 and as President of the Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation USA until 2023.
After receiving her award in the University’s James Watt Centre in front of fellow graduands, Helen said: “I am very grateful to Heriot Watt University for not only giving me the excellent education which provided the basis for my own success in business, but also for this incredible honour, which was unexpected and a wonderful recognition of what I have tried to do to help others succeed.”
Professor Dame Heather McGregor is the Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai and who nominated Helen for the honour.
“Today, we have the distinct honour of recognising Helen E.R. Sayles CBE with an honorary degree, celebrating her remarkable contributions to the insurance industry, her tireless efforts in promoting Scottish organisations in the United States, and her unwavering commitment to Heriot-Watt University,” she said.
“Helen’s leadership and dedication have made an indelible impact on both sides of the Atlantic, and her enduring support for our institution has helped shape the future of countless students. We are truly privileged to count her as part of our Heriot-Watt family, and we thank her for her extraordinary legacy of service and inspiration.”
Helen has received numerous awards in recognition of the considerable contribution she has made, and continues to make, to the communities that she has engaged with, from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts to the St Andrew’s Society of New York. In 2014, she was created Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the late Queen, Elizabeth II, for services to British business and philanthropy.
