‘Delighted and overwhelmed’ was how Hayley Parsons described her reaction to the news that she received an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.

‘Delighted and overwhelmed’ was how Hayley Parsons described her reaction to the news that she received an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.

The founder and chief executive of Newport-based Gocompare.com was acknowledged for services to the economy. The insurance comparison company was launched in 2006 and by 2010 hit a profit of £12 million on sales of £74.9 million.

‘We started in 2006 in my dining room and we launched the company with just seven people,’ says Parsons. ‘We are now one of the best-known brands in the UK and the company employs over 100 people.’