“It’s an amazing opportunity for Manchester United and the region”

Collette Roche is the Chief Operating Officer of Manchester United, the first woman ever to hold that role at the club. Along the way, she’s had to navigate male-dominated environments; hold tough conversations, and lead with clarity and empathy since she was 21 years old.

Collette’s story isn’t just about football. She’s played key roles in some of Manchester’s most important institutions; from Manchester Airport Group and Manchester Metropolitan University to JW Lees, The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, UA92 and The Manchester United Foundation.

Host Lisa Morton hears about Collette’s journey from working-class roots in Haydock, to leading one of the most renowned football clubs in the world. Collette’s been a steady hand through years of change, during which she’s seen five managers come and go. She’s now at the heart of one of the most ambitious projects in the club’s history: a planned new stadium for the club and an ambitious regeneration programme for Old Trafford which will leave a lasting impact on Greater Manchester as well as its fans.

From working-class roots in Haydock to leading one of the most renowned football clubs in the world, Collette’s story is one leading with purpose and integrity.

Part of this conversation was recorded live at Business Desk’s The Business of Greater Manchester Conference, and it captures how Collette is helping to build not just a new stadium, but a stronger Manchester for generations to come.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

How has the ‘Cream of Manchester’ been “pulled” back to the city?

Will Lees-Jones is the Managing Director of JW Lees, a seventh-generation family brewery and pub business with pubs all across the North West.

Will caught up with Lisa Morton to share the news about the exciting return of Boddingtons to Manchester and other pubs near you.

They discuss what it means to bring back an icon to the city; Will’s hopes for the future of brewing in Manchester, and whether or not he’s had a call from iconic “Boddies Girl” Melanie Sykes.

You also get a chance to hear Will’s conversation with Will from 2022, when they reflected on leading a business through the Covid pandemic, and the values that help keep JW Lees pubs resilient.

In that conversation, Will talked about championing local communities through initiatives like Mahdlo Youth Zone in Oldham and Forever Manchester, and why he believed pubs remain at the heart of social life.

From steering a historic family business through challenging times to shaping Manchester’s next chapter with a truly iconic beer, Will’s commitment to tradition, community, and to championing the culture that surrounds the local remains unparalleled.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester; across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Tom

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

"It's all about connecting people and place to opportunity."

Tom Stannard is the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council. A proud public servant, he began his career in London, but his journey in the North West has been a tale of two cities. Tom left Salford four months ago to start his new role in Manchester.

Find out how Tom leads with a community first mindset; humility, purpose and humour, including a commitment to staying grounded, even if that means posing for a photo next to some fly-tipping!

In this episode, Lisa Morton explores what it means to lead a global city with local people at its heart. Tom shares how his experiences in Salford have shaped his approach to inclusive regeneration, why he believes that listening to community voices is key to effective policymaking, and how his family values have influenced his leadership journey.

From site visits in Miles Platting to gigs in Co-op Live, Tom proves that civic leadership can have both steel and soul.

You’ll hear how regeneration can serve every part of a city, not just its centre and what Tom and his team have planned for Greater Manchester in the next 10 years.

This is a conversation about building a fairer Manchester, one that’s ambitious, inclusive, and connected to the people who call it home.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester; across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Tom

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.