Arun Sarin
Arun Sarin

Some things are still done Old Style. When the British Foreign Office announced spring honors for 2010 it listed all the specific awards the Queen “was graciously pleased to approve.” They included, in “The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division),” the name Arun Sarin, “for services to the communication industry.” Born in central India, Sarin has two 1978 master’s degrees from Berkeley, one an M.B.A. and the other in material sciences and engineering.

Sarin’s career began at Pacific Telesis, where he pioneered expansion in the mobile communications industry. After that, he was primarily connected with AirTouch Communications and UK-based Vodafone (which bought AirTouch), heading each in their turn. He is now senior adviser to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Company, a private equity firm. In 2002, he was named the Haas School’s Business Leader of the Year.

As an American citizen, Sarin can’t use the knighthood’s British-style “Sir” prefix, but he is entitled to add the suffix “KBE” after his name.