Alliance Manchester Business School

Michelle Kipling, School Operations Manager

The School Operations Manager has a key strategic and operational role in the Schools within the Faculty of Humanities supporting the Head of School in the planning and day-to-day management of the School. On behalf of the School's leadership team, she works to ensure the School is compliant across all PO&D, Finance, Health and Safety. and Information Governance processes and regulations.

Specific projects include maintaining oversight of all SR and EDI activity and the School's accreditation processes.

"I have worked at AMBS for 28 years, after joining as a Secretary and have moved roles every 2-3 years - with a very brief stint as a Research Assistant (the Epistemology unit on the PhD programme made me realise it wasn't the career for me and I swiftly moved back to administration and project management!).

I am most proud of the work I have done in relation to SR, and now more and more EDI, especially the partnership with the Education Leadership Trust and our annual Inspiring Women's Conference which started in 2016. I have recently been told one of the delegates who attended four years ago has just gone to Oxford to study Maths. And I am due to present to the International Education Conference in November with Patricia Perlman-Dee about the partnership and how it inspires the next generation to come to University."

You can watch a video here explaining more about School Operations.

Pippa Paga, Deputy School Operations Manager

The Deputy School Operations Manager is a new role for AMBS but has been part of the structure in other Schools for some time. Supporting the School Operations Manager in day-to- day operations with specific responsibility for the AMBS estate, Academic Services and the Schools EDI and Social Responsibility agendas.

“I have worked at AMBS for 14 years, starting on the Global MBA (when it was still based in Bangor!) and then moving four years later to the brilliant PGT team. My last role was as the Divisional Operations Manager in PMO and after five and a half years, I am ready to take on this amazing new challenge and to make the post my own!

I will be hitting the ground running, focussing hard on our Athena Swann submission but I intend to spend a lot of the first year, listening, learning and watching.

I look forward to being involved in new projects and working alongside colleagues I already know and some I have yet to meet”  

Tracy Moreland, Deputy School Operations Manager (Commercial)

The Deputy School Operations Manager (Commercial) is a new role emerging from the recent operations review. Focusing on the AMBS 'non-standard activity' such as conferencing, reception services and the University bedroom guarantee agreement, this role is an exciting opportunity to showcase our fabulous facilities and build on our commercial focus.

"I have worked at AMBS for 26 years, starting as a Conference Assistant before moving on to work within the Executive Centre as a Programme Administrator. I then seized the opportunity of promotion to the Conference Manager's role which has experienced many permutations over the past 18 years. From managing the old AMBS hotel and teaching rooms, to decanting colleagues into other buildings for the refurbishment, to helping feed into the design of the new school, launching the bedroom guarantee agreement with the Hyatt, opening and re-populating the new AMBS and finally snagging and honing the new building. It's been a mixed bag and quite the rollercoaster, but I can never claim it's been dull!

I'm looking forward to narrowing my focus and investing lots of time and energy into promoting and sharing our wonderful facilities. I'm also excited to be joining the wider Operations team and the opportunities that will present for cross-working. Creating time to step outside the School and build valuable connections both internally and externally is also a prospect that excites me about my new role".

Kyle Rowe, Planning and Data Analyst

The Planning and Data Analyst role has existed in AMBS for some time now and covers a wide range of areas such as student number planning and forecasting, data analysis, and process automation.

“I am new to AMBS having just started this exciting role in January 2025, following a career of working as an analyst in various other sectors. This is going to be my first role in HE, and I am really looking forward to using the skills I have developed to help AMBS achieve its strategic goals over the coming months and years. I know I will be looking to assist new colleagues as much as possible with the 5-year plan, University rankings, accreditation, and generally helping the school with its data-driven decision making.

This is a fantastic role for me and an amazing opportunity to work with my new colleagues on many different projects that I know can have a very positive impact across the School. This feels like an exciting time for AMBS, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

Ling Nouv, Executive Assistant to the Head of School

The Executive Assistant to the Head of School role has been expanded to include managing the leadership’s office. My remit is all encompassing, ranging from dealing with the School’s activities, liaising with the three Faculties to University level business plus external engagement at a local, national and global scale covering alumni relations, international affairs and much more.

We are a small team of three who support the Head of School, the Director of School Operations and the three School Directors who cover the Research, Teaching and Learning and Social Responsibility portfolios. We act as key enablers for our leadership to focus on strategic priorities. No two days are the same in this busy executive suite.

"I joined the School as a member of the Global MBA team working closely with the International Centres. A few years later, I moved to the Head of School’s Office and feel privileged to have been part of the impressive results achieved so far.

I look forward to the future, being part of realising the School’s ambitions and elevating its eminence".