Uni’s visiting professor receives CBE

Visiting Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Graham Leslie received his award in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours

A SELF-MADE business mogul who shares his expertise with students at the University of Huddersfield as Visiting Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship has received the CBE he was awarded in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The honour was conferred on Graham Leslie at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

Raised in Middlesbrough, Graham Leslie had early success as a hairdresser before moving into pharmaceuticals.  After 11 years with Winthorp, he struck out on his own and in 1982 he established Galpharm International in Huddersfield.

It grew rapidly, moving first to Brighouse and then to purpose-built premises in Barnsley.  Galpharm became the UK’s biggest supplier of non-prescriptive medicine, and was eventually sold to the multi-national Perrigo Group for $88m.

Graham Leslie was also founder chairman and co-creator of Huddersfield’s new 25,000 all-seater stadium, the home of Premiership football team Huddersfield Town and rugby league, the Huddersfield Giants.  It was branded the Galpharm Stadium for several years.

In 2006, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the University of Huddersfield and six year later he became Visiting Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and has a base at the University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.

His CBE was awarded for his services to entrepreneurship.