Vice-Chancellor's Pay

Manchester Metropolitan is a large, ambitious university with more than 5,100 staff and 43,000 students.

Remuneration Committee

The remuneration package for the Vice-Chancellor is decided by the University’s Remuneration Committee.

The Committee usually meets twice a year.

The Committee is chaired by the Deputy Chair of the Board. This means that the person with responsibility for appraising the performance of the Vice-Chancellor does not also chair the Committee which has oversight for senior staff remuneration.

The Vice-Chancellor is not a member of the Remuneration Committee.

When considering the appropriate salary for the Vice-Chancellor, the Remuneration Committee gives due regard to the size and complexity of the role and benchmark data, such as that provided by UCEA. If an increase in salary is considered appropriate, pay increases awarded to other staff in the institution are taken into account.

The Vice-Chancellor’s objectives are recommended by the Chair of the Board, approved by Remuneration Committee and shared with the Governing Body. The size of any performance-related bonus is determined in line with agreed criteria and is approved by the Remuneration Committee.

The Committee operates in accordance with best practice as recommended in the Higher Education Code of Governance, the Higher Education Senior Staff Remuneration Code, and other guidance produced by the Committee of University Chairs and the Office for Students.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to openness and transparency with regard to the remuneration of senior personnel and publishes details annually in our financial statements.

Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration package

The current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Malcolm Press, took up the post at Manchester Metropolitan on 1 June 2015.

The Vice-Chancellor’s salary reflects the fact that Manchester Metropolitan is one of the largest universities in the country; the scale and complexity of the job; comparisons with benchmarks; and performance as measured against robust objectives set by the Chair of the University’s Board of Governors.

Professor Press’ remuneration comprises the following elements:

• salary
• performance-related pay
• benefits
• pension opt-out payment

Financial year 2021/22

The Remuneration Committee agreed a salary increase of 1.5% in 2021/22, which was in line with the JNCHES (Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff) national pay settlement for university staff.  Performance-related pay of £30,000 was paid to the Vice-Chancellor in October 2021. The total remuneration was £355,000.

Financial year 2022/23

The Remuneration Committee agreed a salary increase of 3.0% in 2022/23, which was in line with the JNCHES (Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff) national pay settlement for university staff.  Performance-related pay of £32,000 was paid to the Vice-Chancellor in October 2022. The total remuneration was £358,000.

Other benefits

The Vice-Chancellor does not have a company car, loans of any description, including mortgage subsidies, or accommodation. As part of the University’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the Vice-Chancellor shares a hybrid pool car with other members of the senior team.

The Vice-Chancellor has elected for a USS Enhanced Opt Out to retain death in service and incapacity cover in USS.

Relationship between the Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration and all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple of the median pay at the University:

The multiples above are based upon the median pay for all employees (on a full-time equivalent basis) at the balance sheet date.

University expenditure associated with the Vice-Chancellor’s role

We publish this information on a voluntary basis, in order to provide details of the travel, accommodation and hospitality costs incurred by and on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor in the course of performing his duties for the University.

All expenditure for and by the Vice-Chancellor is wholly and exclusively for approved university business with the aim of enhancing the outcomes for students and staff (for example, industry or overseas placements, First Generation campaign, or facilitating grants and contracts). Services are procured in accordance with the University’s financial regulations. Delivering a return on this expenditure and ensuring value for money is ultimately overseen by our Board, which comprises staff and students in addition to independent members. We welcome the additional focus to be provided by the Office for Students in delivering value for money.

Expenditure will be updated on a six-monthly basis.

• Expenditure incurred between February to July 2024

The links below contain details of expenditures incurred in prior periods.

• Expenditure incurred between August 2023 to January 2024
• Expenditure incurred between February 2023 to July 2023
• Expenditure incurred between August 2022 to January 2023
• Expenditure incurred between February 2022 to July 2022
• Expenditure incurred between August 2021 to January 2022
• Expenditure incurred between February 2021 to July 2021
• Expenditure incurred between August 2020 to January 2021
• Expenditure incurred between February 2020 to July 2020
• Expenditure incurred between August 2019 to January 2020‌
• Expenditure incurred between February 2019 to July 2019
• Expenditure incurred between August 2018 to January 2019