Notable alumni

John Bishop

• Comedian, actor
• Studied: Social Science 
• Honorary Doctor of Arts 

John Bishop has toured the world with his stand-up performance shows. He was awarded Best Male Comedy Breakthrough Artist at the 2010 British Comedy Awards.

Sarah Burton OBE

• Creative Director, Givenchy
• Studied: Foundation Art 
• Honorary Doctor of Arts 

Fashion designer Sarah Burton was the creative force for Alexander McQueen’s women and menswear collections for many years before being named as the Creative Director for Givenchy. 

Steve Coogan

• Actor, comedian, writer 
• Studied: Theatre

BAFTA and Academy Award nominated actor, known for his television and film appearances, including his character Alan Partridge.

Kadeena Cox OBE

• Parasport athlete 
• Studied: Physiotherapy 

Kadeena Cox OBE made her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, where she won four medals in cycling and athletics. She was the first Briton in 28 years to win medals in two sports at one Games, and the first in 32 years to secure golds in two sports at the same Paralympics.

Carl Ennis 

• Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Great Britain and Ireland 
• Studied: Integrated Engineering Systems
• Honorary Doctor of Engineering 

Carl became CEO of Siemens Great Britain and Ireland and Smart Infrastructure, GB&I, in 2019. He has significant experience of the UK and global energy markets, having worked in the industry for 30 years.

Ian Griffiths 

• Creative Director at Max Mara 
• Studied: Fashion 
• Honorary Doctor of Arts 

Influential fashion designer Ian Griffiths has been the creative director of Max Mara for more than 30 years.

Thomas Heatherwick CBE 

• Designer and Founder of the Heatherwick Studio 
• Studied: Three Dimensional Design  
• Honorary Doctor of Arts 

A visionary maker and designer, who founded his London-based design practice Heatherwick Studio in 1994.

Paul Hudson 

• Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi
• Studied: Economics
• Honorary Doctor of Business Administration 

Paul Hudson’s healthcare career has spanned the globe with senior leadership roles at Sanofi, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca.

Bridget Lea

• General Manager UK, Snap Inc
• Studied: Information Technology 

Bridget Lea is an accomplished female business leader with over 25 years of experience. She leads Snapchat’s UK team across all functions of the company with the goal of making relevant local decisions for the good of the UK business.

L S Lowry (deceased)

• Artist
• Studied: Art 

Artist Laurence Stephen Lowry, known as L S Lowry, is best known for his paintings depicting urban landscapes in the north of England.

Photo: The Lowry Collection Salford

Sylvia Pankhurst (deceased)

• Political activist and campaigner for women’s rights
• Studied: Art

A daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, Sylvia was the most imprisoned suffragette. She was a prize-winning student in the Manchester School of Art at the beginning of the 20th century.

Nick Read

• Former Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Group Plc 
• Studied: Accounting and Finance
• Honorary Doctor of Business Administration 

Nick Read joined Vodafone Group in 2001, holding global senior executive roles until his appointment as CEO in 2018.

Dame Julie Walters, DBE

• Actress
• Studied: Theatre 

Award-winning film and television actress, known for her performances in Paddington, Harry Potter, Billy Elliott, Educating Rita and Mamma Mia!  

Michelle Yeoh

• Actress
• Studied: Creative Arts

Oscar winning film actress best known for her performances in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Tomorrow Never Dies.