About Us

Leadership

The leadership team at UCEN Manchester is made up of our Principal, Vice Principals and Directors.

It’s their job to lead UCEN Manchester on its strategic journey and ambitious vision. Together with the rest of our staff, they ensure our students have everything they need to find their future with UCEN Manchester, from first-class facilities and leading learning environments to career-focused and industry-relevant teaching. 

Rachel joined UCEN Manchester in 2015 in the role of Vice Principal before becoming Deputy Principal in 2019. Prior to her appointment as Principal, Rachel was the strategic lead for the UCEN Manchester’s ambitious estates transformation project which successfully completed in 2022 and delivered dedicated higher education facilities at City Campus Manchester.

Rachel started her career at the FE Funding Council (FEFC) where she spent 9 years, including leading investigations into underperforming colleges and overseeing the smooth transition from the FEFC to the Learning and Skills Council for all 13 Lancashire colleges. She then moved to Blackburn College, where she progressed to become Deputy Principal.

As Vice Principal and Dean of Higher Education (HE), Michael is leading on the development of UCEN Manchester and our mission to deliver world-class technical and professional higher level skills.

Michael joined us in October 2017 from Salford City College, where he was Deputy Principal. He has more than 20 years’ experience in both Further Education (FE) colleges and sixth form colleges, and was Vice Principal at Bradford College, the biggest provider of HE alongside FE in the country. He has managed areas as diverse as student support, curriculum and quality, and staffing.

As Associate Dean, Mark is responsible for the strategic and academic leadership of the UCEN curriculum offer, its development and growth, driven to achieve positive student outcomes for all.  This includes our Higher Nationals, Foundation Degrees and Degrees, as well as our Access to HE offer and higher-level professional courses in teacher training and counselling. 

Mark joined us in August 2020 from the Trafford College Group, where he was Dean of HE and previously Assistant Principal Curriculum and Quality. He has more than 20 years’ experience in Colleges and held further and higher education senior leader roles across Cheshire Colleges, including Director of the Cheshire HE Consortia of Colleges. He also held roles with the Office for Students (OfS) as a TEF panel member, with QAA as a Quality Reviewer, and with Universities as an External Advisor.  He has managed areas as diverse as Curriculum and Quality, Staffing, International, Apprenticeships and Commercial.

He values the role of local Higher Education in supporting student social mobility and inspired to change lives for the better through a high-quality educational experience.

As Director of Student Experience and Engagement (Higher Education), her role at UCEN Manchester is to provide strategic educational leadership in the development, planning, delivery and monitoring of the student experience. Wendy is also responsible for the leadership of the Student Engagement team and Students’ Union. She works in partnership with the student body to ensure students can thrive in a culture that blends education, research and professional practice.

Wendy has extensive experience of working in further and higher education, having previously worked as an FE and HE Tutor, Lecturer, Programme Leader and Teacher Education Manager. Her expertise spans the HE student journey from admissions to alumni relations, leading the operational and strategic direction of student engagement.

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