Tom Bloxham

The least qualified board member. Tom sold fire extinguishers door to door, studied a degree in politics, sold records then posters and ran a market stall down Affleck’s Arcade. He made more money sub-letting the space than selling his posters. That’s how it started. Following setting up a pub business, nightclub and radio station, Tom, along with Jonathan Falkingham, founded Urban Splash in 1993.

Urban Splash has developed over a billion pounds of regeneration projects across the country. As well as this, Tom chairs the Manchester International Festival and is a trustee of The Tate, Manchester United Foundation. His past roles include Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Chair of Arts Council NW, Chair of Centre of Cities Think Tank and Trustee of Big Issue in the North. Tom was awarded an MBE for services to architecture and urban regeneration in 1999 at the age of 35.