Manchester United’s Collette Roche joins UA92 board - appointment comes as institution posts first positive EBITDA
Collette Roche, Manchester United’s chief executive for new stadium development, has joined the board of University Academy 92 (UA92). The appointment comes as UA92 achieved its first positive EBITDA amid an improving financial performance.
The move comes weeks after the Premier League side agreed to provide teaching spaces for UA92 within Old Trafford stadium.
Before joining Manchester United, Collette Roche held a range of executive and non-executive positions across FTSE-listed companies including Ford Motor Company, Siemens, United Utilities and Manchester Airport Group.
One of the UK’s most respected business leaders, Roche joined Manchester United as chief operating officer in 2018, becoming the first woman to ever hold the position in the club’s history. She was named in Vogue’s 25 most influential women in 2018 and included in the FTSE 100 Women to Watch list in 2022.
The appointment comes as UA92 announced its annual statutory accounts for 2024/25, highlighting a year of strong growth, improving financial performance and continued success in widening access to higher education.
Student numbers grew by 30 per cent to 1,217, driving positive financial and operational performance across the institution.
Social mobility and student outcomes remain at the core of UA92’s mission. The institution continues to outperform the sector on widening participation, with 41% of UK students coming from lower-income areas, compared to a national average of 28 per cent.
Graduate outcomes are also strong, with 91 per cent of graduates progressing into employment or further study, above the national sector average of 89 per cent. Notably, 79 per cent of graduates remain in the North West, strengthening the region’s talent pipeline.
UA92 also reported improving financial performance.
Revenue increased by 26 per cent to £14.8m, driven by strong growth in UK home student recruitment, while the institution achieved its first positive EBITDA of £200,000, representing a £1.1m year-on-year improvement and reflecting growth in revenue, and is on track this year for continued EBITDA and revenue growth.
Collette Roche said: "UA92’s mission to widen access to higher education and develop industry-ready talent is something that I strongly support. Being part of the board provides an opportunity to contribute to an organisation that is making a real difference, and I am proud to be a part of that."
Marnie Millard, chair of the Board UA92, added: "Collette brings a wealth of experience from some of the UK’s most influential organisations and her contribution will be hugely important as we continue to grow and ensure higher education is accessible to all.
“This is a pivotal moment for UA92 as it graduates from a start-up to a profitable institution.”
UA92 is a higher education institution co-founded by Gary Neville, the Class of ’92 and Lancaster University.
Last year, Colette Roche spoke about her successful career at an Insider event.