Toni mascolo awarded obe for services to hairdressing

Toni Mascolo co-founded Toni & Guy 45 years ago with brother Guy, and has gone on to make it one of the most successful salon groups in the world, with more than 7,000 staff worldwide. He received his OBE in 2008. Why do you think you received the award? It was a great honour to receive my Italian Knighthood, but to be granted the OBE is an even greater privilege, as I have lived in the UK since I was 14. I have been lucky to have had a long, exciting and successful career and to be honoured for my contribution to an industry I still feel so passionately about really is quite overwhelming. Toni & Guy employs more than 7,000 staff globally and is a British brand recognised all over the world. I believe this, along with being the first hairdressing company to franchise and share the success I found with my staff, is why I have been awarded. What did you do to get it? My wife Pauline and I set up the Toni & Guy Charitable Foundation in 2003. It is currently raising £700,000 to refurbish a ward at the Variety Club Children's Hospital, King's College Hospital, London. We also help an orphanage in my native home, Italy. How did it feel when you found out? It really is a privilege and I am delighted to have received such an honour. Is it important that hairdressers get recognised? Absolutely! Hairdressing is a huge industry that employs thousands of people in the UK alone. I think hairdressing has finally been recognised as a serious career choice and as a business that makes a crucial contribution to the British economy. Who would you like to see get an award? There are many talented hairdressers that deserve recognition, but if I could nominate anyone, it would be my daughter, Sacha. She is an inspiration to me and her energy and enthusiasm are endless. To achieve success is hard, but to stay at the top of your industry is infinitely harder.