Northern Cities Collaborative for Economic Growth

Join us for a conversation with Sir Terry Leahy, businessman, philanthropist and thought leader, and Professor Philip McCann, Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS).

They will discuss one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the growing economic disparities within and across our cities and regions.

This event celebrates the historic establishment of the Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics at AMBS.

Northern Cities Collaborative for Economic Growth

At this event, Sir Terry Leahy and Professor Philip McCann will lead discussions on the transformative potential of collaboration between northern cities to drive economic growth and enhance national GDP.

The focus will be on how cities in the region can work together to align planning and infrastructure investment for sustainable development and collective progress.

Professor Philip McCann

Professor Philip McCann is Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School and member of The Productivity Institute, headquartered at AMBS.

Philip specialises in spatial economics and economic geography and is one of the UK’s most highly cited social scientists. He has also been a Special Adviser to two European Commissioners, an advisor to the European Commission, the OECD, the European Investment Bank, as well as government ministries and research institutes in several countries. He joined The University of Manchester in July 2022 from the University of Sheffield.

Philip was a member of Labour’s Commission on the UK’s Future, led by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He gave evidence to the Report of the Commission on the UK’s Future about the UK’s geographical inequality.

Sir Terry Leahy

A graduate (BSc (Hons) Management Sciences 1977) and former Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Sir Terry is one of the UK’s most respected and influential business leaders, best known for his leadership of Tesco PLC.

He received a knighthood for services to food retailing in 2002, an Honorary Doctorate of Science from UMIST in 2002 and an Honorary LLD from The University of Manchester in 2008.

Earlier this year he made a generous gift of £1.5 million to fund research into regional economic disparities and the impact of policies aimed at rejuvenating and rebalancing the productivity and prosperity of the UK’s cities and regions.

The event will be held in-person only at AMBS and will begin with a drinks reception.

Host or Publisher Alliance Manchester Business School