Leslie Wagner

Leslie Wagner, CBE (born 21 February 1943) is a British academic, who has been Vice-Chancellor of two universities and the second Chancellor of the University of Derby.

Wagner was educated at Salford Grammar School and obtained a BA and MA at Manchester University. He worked for the British 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.

Wagner served as the second Chancellor of the University of Derby from 2003 to 2008.

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 appointed a CBE in 2000 for services to higher education and the Jewish community.