Former Barclays chief executive to succeed Peter Mandelson as Manchester Met University Chancellor

Manchester Metropolitan University is to install Antony Jenkins as its new Chancellor to succeed the Labour politician and grandee Lord Peter Mandelson.

Blackburn-born Jenkins, who led Barclays as its chief executive until July 2015, is now active in disruptive fintech businesses and is the founder, chair and chief executive of 10x Future Technologies Group.

He’s also a non-executive chair of Redpin, an external Member of the Prudential Regulation Committee of the Prudential Regulation Authority, and an advisor to Palamon Capital.

He held senior board leadership positions at Barclays (2006 – 2015) including as Chief Executive Officer, where attempted to reset the bank’s strategy after a period of turmoil, until he was brutally sacked in July 2015.

Since then he has reset his career and raised over £100m from investors in 10x, including BlackRock, JP Morgan and Nationwide. The most recent funding round in January 2024 raised $50m.

He has also served as Chair of Business in the Community and has sat on the boards of Visa Europe, Absa Group, Fannie Mae and Blockchain.com.  

He met Manchester Met Vice Chancellor Malcolm Press when they both served on the board of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (2017 – 2021), which has championed the evolution of degree apprenticeships, a prominent feature of Manchester Met’s offering to students.

In 2021 the University awarded Jenkins an honorary Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), in recognition of his contribution to banking, apprenticeships and technical education.

An unpaid role, Chancellor is the most senior ambassadorial and ceremonial position which supports the University leadership team in particular in relationships with business, industry, the public sector and university stakeholders.

Antony Jenkins said of his accession to the position: “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.”

Jenkins, alongside his wife Amanda, has 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.

Peter Mandelson at his installation as Chancellor

“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 established a series of Chancellor’s Fellowships, delivered through the University’s own think tank MetroPolis, which enabled to academics researching topics with the potential for social impact to spend time with policy makers to shape new ideas.

He also accompanied Malcolm Press on international visits, including to China, and held receptions at the House of Lords in support of the First Generation fundraising campaign to provide bursaries and support for students to attend university.

He 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.”