Our supporters
Dedicated to shaping the future of business education and research
Manchester has always welcomed and created entrepreneurs. When I first came to the city I was simply driven by the need to make a living. But as my own business grew, I increasingly saw how important education was.
Our history has been shaped by acts of philanthropy
Alliance MBS is lucky to have had valued supporters over the years. Our generous alumni, donors and partners make our world-class business education and research possible.
In 2015, Manchester Business School was renamed Alliance Manchester Business School. This was in recognition of Lord Alliance's generous £15 million donation and his long-standing relationship with the University and Business School.
Prior to the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester in 2004, Lord Alliance was a generous supporter of the School of Management at UMIST. He was also a key supporter of the Law School, cultural assets, and international research partnerships across Life Sciences and Medical and Human Sciences.
Lord Alliance was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of UMIST in 1988 and an Honorary LLD from the Victoria University of Manchester in 1989. He was also made an Honorary Doctor of Law from The University of Manchester in 2016.
In May 2024, business leader and alumnus Sir Terry Leahy donated £1.5m to fund research into:
- Regional economic disparities
- The impact of policies aimed at rejuvenating and rebalancing the productivity and prosperity of the UK’s cities and regions.
Sir Terry graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Management Sciences in 1977, and has been a former Chancellor of The University of Manchester. He received a knighthood for services to food retailing in 2002, an Honorary Doctorate of Science from UMIST in 2002 and an Honorary LLD from The University of Manchester in 2008.
Sir Terry's gift established the Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics, overseeing detailed research into regional productivity inequalities. This position was undertaken by Professor Philip McCann.
Eddie Davies was born in Salford in 1946. He was educated at Farnworth Grammar School followed by Durham University, where he read Mathematics.
After graduating, Eddie joined Avon Rubber as a Production Engineer, then Scapa Group as subsidiary Finance Director, Project Manager (Brazil) and Assistant Group Managing Director.
In 1984, Eddie formed Strix Group as Managing Director. The company became the world leader in the supply of control systems for domestic water boiling appliances - notably kettles. In 2000 Eddie was awarded an OBE for Services to Industry. He sold 50% of Strix to HSBC in 2000, and the majority of the remainder in 2005.
In 2006, Eddie left the company after serving as chairman for seven years, during which Strix gained four Queen's Awards.
Make a donation to The University of Manchester
We have a 200-year history of changing the world for the better.