Professor John Holden became the University of Manchester’s Vice-President for Civic Engagement and Innovation in October 2025.
John joined the University in 2020 as the Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects. In this role he led on a series of large scale University-wide initiatives, including the establishment of the UK’s Productivity Institute at the Alliance Manchester Business School, the relocation of the UK Biobank to the Oxford Road Corridor, the creation of the Turing Innovation Catalyst, and the development of the groundbreaking Cambridge-Manchester Innovation Partnership. In 2024, he co-led the University’s Regional Innovation Review and played a pivotal role in the creation of Unit M, the University’s dedicated innovation arm. John was also the University’s lead in establishing Sister, the 20‑year project to build a new innovation district on the former North Campus.
Before joining the University, John spent 15 years in senior strategy and policy roles in Greater Manchester. He was instrumental in shaping the city region’s Mayoral Combined Authority, including the landmark 2014 ‘Devo Manc’ devolution deal and subsequent agreements that transferred significant powers and funding from the UK government to the city region. As head of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Strategy and Research team, he worked with Mayor Andy Burnham, Sir Richard Leese, the late Sir Howard Bernstein and other regional leaders to set and deliver economic growth and public service reform policy. John has also worked as a special advisor on regional economic development to the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the European Commission.
John is a University of Manchester alumnus, having gained both a BA in Economics and an MA in Political Economy at the University between 1999 and 2003. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance from the University of London. He is a board member of the Rochdale Development Agency, the Confederation of British Industry’s North West Council, the Oxford Road Corridor Executive, the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, and the North West Business Leadership Team. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).