The Board

As Manchester's President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan is the University's chief executive and academic leader.

Find out more about Duncan

A Politics and International Relations graduate, Anna is the elected Union Affairs Executive Officer for the Students' Union. She focuses on improving ethical transparency across the University and addressing the material living conditions of students. 

Philippa is currently Manchester’s Chair and Pro Chancellor, the Senior Independent Director of Ordnance Survey and of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, a Non-Executive Director of Cyber and Specialist Operations Command and a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge.

As Group Human Resources Director of ITV Plc until 2009, Philippa shaped the consolidation of the regional ITV companies. Prior to this she held general management and then HR roles in Granada Group Plc. She began her career in marketing with ICI and has an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from The Queen's College Oxford.

Former Chief Executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Ann retired in 2017 following a long career in senior NHS leadership roles and continues to contribute as a member of the General Assembly. She brings valuable experience of public sector governance and a strong commitment to the Greater Manchester region and its devolved health agenda.

With an academic background in molecular neuroscience, Kerris is an experienced business leader with a strong track record in customer-focused, data-driven strategy across both private and public sector organisations. She is currently Chief Customer Officer at the BBC and previously held senior leadership roles at Virgin Media, British Airways and Unilever.

David holds a range of non-executive and chair roles across finance, education and the arts, including Chair of Royal Bank of Canada (Europe) Ltd. and Archax Ltd., and brings extensive governance experience to his positions. He previously held senior executive roles at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, alongside earlier experience in professional services and industry.

Anna has over 25 years' experience in further education, for which she was awarded an OBE in 2026, and is currently CEO/Principal of Wigan and Leigh College. She brings deep expertise in technical education and regional skills development, alongside active involvement in supporting economic growth and delivering Greater Manchester’s skills agenda.

Guy is Global Head of Sustainability at New York Stock Exchange listed real estate services company JLL. An alumnus of the London Business School Senior Executive Programme, he is also an established media commentator on sustainability, and the built and natural environment.

Sarah brings extensive experience in strategy, economic policy and organisational transformation and has had a distinguished career spanning the private and public sectors, most recently serving as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, where she led national policy on science, technology and digital transformation. Prior to this she was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and has also held the position of partner at McKinsey and Company.

Co-Head of Retail Banking at Barclays UK and a member of its Executive Committee, Jatin is responsible for the customer, commercial and operational outcomes of the bank’s consumer business in the UK. He brings broad experience from senior roles in banking, insurance, consulting and engineering, alongside a strong commitment to mentoring, education and inclusion initiatives.

Matthew is the co-founder and board member of Matillion, a global data engineering company helping organisations turn data into insights at scale. Previously Matthew had been Matillion’s CEO since 2011, before stepping down from in 2026. Matillion pioneered cloud ETL and has now built Maia – an AI data automation platform that delivers data outcomes with agents and context to global customers. Matthew brings a background in software and leadership across startups and enterprises and is recognised for his contribution to the tech sector through entrepreneurship and industry roles.

Group Chief Executive of NatWest Group and a Manchester alumnus, Paul has a background leading major business and institutional banking operations. He brings extensive experience in strategic transformation, risk management and customer-focused leadership, alongside a strong commitment to inclusive team development and talent growth.

Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Industry Relations at De Beers, Emma is a former British diplomat with more than two decades of international experience in trade, security and crisis response who was awarded an OBE for her work helping British nationals to safety from hot spots around the world. She has held senior UK government roles across Africa and North America, including serving as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner and Consul General in New York, and brings wide-ranging global policy and diplomatic expertise.

Naomi is a Professor of Healthcare Management, with 25 years’ experience teaching leadership programmes in the UK and internationally. Her research interests include healthcare policy, management, leadership and public sector board governance. She works with frontline professionals and leaders at all levels to build confidence, capability and resilience in complex environments. Naomi began her second term as AMBS School Board Chair in September 2026.

Jo is Professor of Applied Health Research. She is Associate Dean for Fellowships and Individual Awards in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Jo works closely with multiple partners to ensure research informs policy and practice, and is committed to developing inclusive research capacity, interdisciplinary collaboration and research with real-world impact.

Chair in Multi-scale and Sustainable Manufacturing in the School of Engineering, Paul's focus is on advancing more sustainable and resource-efficient manufacturing systems. He combines teaching and research leadership in manufacturing science with a strong commitment to social responsibility, inclusion and international collaboration in engineering.

A Professor of Vision Sciences, Hema’s research focuses on myopia and visual optics. She has held senior academic leadership roles, including Associate Dean for Social Responsibility, and has a Trustee role as Council member for the General Optical Council where she is involved in shaping professional standards, regulatory frameworks and education policy within the optical sector. Her work reflects a strong commitment to EDI and social responsibility.

A Reader in Design in the Department of Materials, with a focus on teaching, scholarship and fostering student belonging and inclusion, Rachel combines academic leadership with curriculum innovation and industry collaboration. She is Scholarship Lead within the Department and co-coordinator of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Teaching and Scholarship Network.

Soumhya holds degrees in History, History of Art and Social Anthropology. She came to Manchester in 2006 from King’s College, Cambridge, has served on Senate for a number of years and currently serves as Head of the Department of Social Anthropology.

Within the Division of Development and Alumni Relations, Tom leads teams across Operations, Research, and Gifts and Finance. These teams are responsible for enabling effective, efficient and appropriate philanthropy and alumni, donor and supporter engagement in support of the University's strategic objectives. Philanthropy and volunteering are currently being realised through the University's Challenge Accepted campaign. Tom also has responsibility across compliance, planning, technological transformation and special projects.

A History graduate, Alec is the elected Manchester Students' Union Officer for the Faculty of Humanities. His focus includes supporting the living and learning conditions of students and increasing their ability to shape their university.