Manchester Business School to change its name after £15 million donation

Business School to become ‘Alliance Manchester Business School’ in September 2015 following a major donation from Lord Alliance of Manchester

The University of Manchester has received a landmark donation for the future development of Manchester Business School from Lord Alliance of Manchester and his fellow Trustees of the Alliance Family Foundation.

The donation of £15 million will be invested both in the School’s new building and to drive its research agenda forward.

In recognition of this support and Lord Alliance’s long-standing relationship with the University and the Business School, the School will be named ‘Alliance Manchester Business School’ or ‘Alliance MBS’.

Lord Alliance, one of the North West’s most successful businessmen, founded the international textile group Coats Viyella Plc (now Coats Plc).

He currently serves as Non-Executive Director of Manchester-based N Brown Group, one of the UK’s leading internet and catalogue home shopping companies.

Lord Alliance has had a long-standing association with the Business School and the wider University.

He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1988 and an Honorary LLD from the Victoria University of Manchester in 1989.

Lord Alliance said: “Over many years I have followed with growing admiration and pride the development of Manchester as a world-class centre for business education and I am delighted to support the next major stage in its growth and development.

“Twenty years ago I instigated the bringing together of separate disciplines to create the Federal School of Management, the pre-cursor to MBS as it is today, of which I am very proud.

“Manchester as a city has done so much for me and this is my opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the next generation of managers and entrepreneurs who will come to our superb business school to develop their leadership skills and contribute to the prosperity of our society in the future.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “This announcement marks the culmination of decades of engagement and supportive partnership with Lord Alliance.

“Today we honour with tremendous gratitude his long-held vision for the potential for a world-class business school to help power the economic development of the city and region.

“We are deeply proud to associate his name with MBS on campus and across its six global centres.

“The timing is perfect as the School embarks on its next 50 years, bolstered by a visionary new building for the School, which Lord Alliance and his Trustees are helping to make possible.”

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