Accomplished British business executive and leading fintech entrepreneur appointed as next Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University

Antony Jenkins CBE will be appointed as the Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University from 1 January 2025, succeeding Lord Mandelson who has held the role since April 2016.

Antony has a hugely successful and distinguished career in finance and is the Founder, Chair and Chief Executive of 10x Future Technologies Group, one of the UK’s leading fintech companies. Antony also currently holds non-executive positions as Chair of Redpin, External Member of the Prudential Regulation Committee of the Prudential Regulation Authority, and is an advisor to Palamon Capital.

Previously, Antony held board leadership positions at Barclays (2006 - 2015) including Chief Executive Officer, as well as key positions at Citigroup (1989 - 2005). He has served as Chair of Business in the Community and on the boards of Visa Europe, Absa Group, Fannie Mae and Blockchain.com.  Further, Antony was the inaugural Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (2017 - 2021), and amongst other things championed the evolution of degree apprenticeships, now a prominent feature of Manchester Met.

In 2021 Antony was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to business.  In the same year, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Manchester Met, in recognition of his contribution to banking, apprenticeships and technical education.

As Chancellor, Antony will serve as the University’s most senior ambassador and ceremonial head, promoting Manchester Met’s mission, vision and values on a global stage. The role supports the University leadership team and works in partnership with business, industry, the public sector and university stakeholders.

Antony said: “I have witnessed personally and professionally the power of education to change lives. It is, therefore, with great pride that I have accepted the opportunity to serve as Chancellor of one of the largest and most applied to universities in the UK. It is an additional pleasure given I was born and raised in the North West.

“The University has an outstanding track record on research with impact and the promotion of social mobility, and I am greatly looking forward to working with staff, students and alumni in my new role.”

Antony, alongside his wife Amanda, is committed to providing opportunities for young people, particularly those from underprivileged and underrepresented backgrounds. Together they have established a number of initiatives to support young people in education and are active supporters of the University’s award-winning First Generation scholarship programme, which supports ‘first-in-their-family’ students from across the North West into higher education. 

Professor Malcolm Press CBE, Vice-Chancellor, said: “As our reputation for teaching and research excellence continues to grow, the role of Chancellor is critical to the promotion of our achievements and the creation of opportunities. I could not be more thrilled by Antony’s appointment.

“I am confident Antony will prove to be both an inspiring role model for our students and a great asset to the University, helping us forge new partnerships as we embark on our third century in 2025.

“I also want to take the opportunity to thank Lord Mandelson for his unstinting service to the University since 2016, a period during which he has made a significant and lasting contribution to our educational and research achievements, the development of our world-class campus and our reputation and profile on the global stage.”

Lord Mandelson said: “It has been a real honour to serve as the Chancellor of Manchester Met and I pass on my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Antony for when he steps into the role.

“When I became Chancellor in 2016, I remarked on the University’s sense of aspiration, ambition, and drive. The University has made huge progress in the last eight years, becoming a powerful force for change in our country, but those attributes remain, meaning the future looks incredibly bright for everyone connected to the University. I hope I have played a part in that progress, and I look forward to my remaining months as Chancellor and celebrating the significant landmark of the University’s 200th anniversary.”

With 43,000 students, over 5,000 employees and a global alumni community of 340,000 across more than 170 countries, Manchester Metropolitan is one of the UK’s largest and most diverse universities. Founded in 1824, Manchester Met is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2024 – 200 years of driving innovation and progress through excellent education and research.

The University is rated as outstanding for student experience with an overall Gold outcome in the Teaching Excellence Framework; has 90% of its research classed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021; is sector leading for degree apprenticeships, rated Ofsted outstanding; and is ranked 2nd for sustainability in the People and Planet University League.