Member Spotlight: Claire Pattinson, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

Introduce yourself

Hi, I’m Claire and I am a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. I oversee all of our small business leadership and growth programmes we deliver here at the Centre for Enterprise. I’ve worked here for nearly 13-years delivering leadership, business growth and innovation programmes to cohorts of small firms.  Along with creating opportunities for businesses, I am passionate about opportunities for everyone through my committee work – Pro Manchester Women, GM4Women trustee, and Our Business GM, and a couple of netball clubs too.

Career highlight

I’ve been very lucky with my work and I’ve had some amazing opportunities, but my absolutely career highlight was winning the Educate North University collaborator of the Year and the Business School of the Year in 2023 in the same evening.  It was truly special, and I was very lucky to be there for the award ceremony.

Name three words that describe your personality

Passionate, friendly and kind.

What’s the best thing about pro-manchester?

pro-manchester always manage to bring together interesting people, creating fantastic networking opportunities and inspiring speakers. I always leave a Pro Manchester event or committee meeting with a new connection or idea to improve my own work, sparking opportunities for our small firms or ideas for my students at the University.

What are your priorities for 2026?

My priorities for 2026 are to progress my equality plans for the Centre for Enterprise, which I hope will involve further funding and opportunities to support our small firms. Personally, I would like to travel, catch a live show or two, and ‘maybe’ sign up for a netball umpiring course to become an official on the courtside.

What do you think are the most important things going on in Manchester at the moment?

Manchester feels like such a vibrant place to live, work, run a business, and participate in right now, there are so many opportunities. But many important initiatives, some hidden from mainstream society, remain essential to support those most in need, such as those supporting women and those in economically deprived areas.

Favourite meeting place in Manchester

This is a hard one as I feel like I am introduced to new fabulous places in the city of Manchester all the time, but I do really like Bundobust and the Lowry theatre, but as an Altrincham resident, it has to be Market House, Altrincham.

Are their any particular types of businesses that you would like to meet?

The kinds of businesses we look to work with fall into two areas, those either thinking about how they would like to develop and grow their business (through our leadership and growth programmes), and those who have an idea for a new product or service (through our innovation programmes). We love having the ability to offer cohort-based programmes, help businesses understand the role sustainability and digital will play for them, and support their transformation journeys.

Get In Touch (optional)

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Claire Pattison | LinkedIn