The Queen has appointed a new Lord-Lieutenant for Hertfordshire to succeed the Countess of Verulam who stepped down at the end of July.

Robert Voss has assumed the ceremonial role after a long and distinguished career in the metal industry.

He has a special interest in young entrepreneurs, through his involvement with Herts Young Enterprise, as a venture partner investing in a number of young companies and as a trustee of the Young People of the Year charity, more widely known as YOPEY.

He is a governor of The University of Herts and a member of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation survivors’ testimony committee.

Mr Voss was awarded the CBE in 2014 for ‘services to British industry and voluntary work in the UK’.

He said: “I am incredibly honoured to have been appointed Lord-Lieutenant by Her Majesty the Queen.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to The Countess of Verulam who has worked tirelessly over the last decade and served the county and Her Majesty with great integrity and total commitment.

“I am especially proud and humbled as the son of two refugees who escaped Nazi Germany in 1939, who, within 12 months of being given refuge, enlisted into the British Army and fought for the country they proudly called home for the rest of their lives.

“It is the greatest honour to be able to serve the country that literally gave me life.

“I will devote my time and energy to serving the great county of Herts – a vibrant, dynamic and diverse county - and its people to the best of my ability and with pride.”

He lives with his wife, Celia. They have two adult sons, a daughter and two grandsons.