Leslie Wagner

Who is Leslie Wagner?

Professor Leslie Wagner CBE is a British academic, who has been Vice-Chancellor of two universities, and Chancellor of Derby University.

Wagner was born 21 February 1943. He obtained a BA and MA at Manchester University and worked for the UK government until 1970, when he became a lecturer in Economics at the Open University. He was later Head of Economics at the Polytechnic of Central London, becoming Vice-Chancellor of the University of North London in 1987. From 1994 to 2003 he was Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University and from 2003 to 2008 Chancellor of the University of Derby. He was the first chair of the Higher Education Academy.

Wagner has been prominent in the British Jewish community, being a Trustee of the Jewish Chronicle, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Trust and chair of the Commission on Jewish Schools. He was rated number 60 in a list of the most influential Jews in the UK.

He was awarded the CBE in 2000 for services to higher education and the Jewish community.