Sally Cheshire, Chair
Sally was appointed Chair of NHS North West in February 2011.
Following a degree in European Studies and spells teaching in France and visiting the former East Germany, Sally opted for a business career. She qualified as a management accountant at Proctor & Gamble and worked in roles as divergent as the factory finance manager for UK cleaning products and manager of the UK’s profit forecast division, working directly for the UK finance director. She went to GEC Marconi Materials Technology as an accountant and in 1994 joined Deloitte as a management consultant working across the UK, Europe and the US mainly in manufacturing.
Sally is chair and trustee of her local branch of the Samaritans. She has also been appointed a non-executive member of the HFEA (the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority).
She and her husband enjoy foreign travel, renovating houses, good food and wine.
Alan Foster, Non-Executive Director
Alan was appointed as Audit Chair in March 2011 having joined NHS North West in July 2006. He retired in 2004 after spending almost 40 years in industry, including 15 years as managing director of MEL Chemicals, a company making Zirconium products. He also sat on the executive board of its parent company.
Previously, he worked for the National Coal board, IBM, Tube Investments, British Aluminium and Alcan, following his studies at Oxford University and the Cranfield School of Management.
Alan is a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust, helping young people to set up their own businesses. He is married and lives in Altrincham. He is a keen golfer and is involved in the organisation of matches at Dunham Forest Golf Club where he is a member. He and his wife also enjoy travelling the world.
Mark Winstanley, Non-Executive Director
Mark joined NHS North West in July 2006. He is human resources director for Rethink – the UK’s largest national charity providing services and information for anyone affected by severe mental health – for whom he has worked for 20 years.
He started his professional life as a secondary school teacher, but soon realised it was not for him and joined Southport Rethink as a welfare rights officer. He also worked at Southport College teaching basic skills.
Mark was chair of Southport and Formby PCT and before that was a non-executive director at North Sefton and West Lancashire Community Trust and chair at Southport Community Health Trust.
His favourite leisure occupation is driving down the motorway to the sound of loud, high-energy pop music. He is also very keen on the mythologies of ancient civilisations.
Denis Lidstone, Non-Executive Director
Denis started his career as an apprentice electrical fitter at Devonport dockyard and went on to work at all levels in the ship building and air defence industries, from the shop floor to chairing board meetings.
In a career focussed on programme management he was involved in rationalising the 190-acre Vickers shipyard site in Barrow. Later he became Partnering Director of BAE Systems, where he stayed until his retirement in 2005.
Since then he has been working as a business consultant, particularly as an accredited reviewer for the government on projects at key stages in their progress.
He is married and lives in Barrow, South Cumbria. He has a passion for mountains and fell-walking and hopes to walk in the Annapurna area.
Professor John Caldwell, Non-Executive Director
John is currently Dean of the faculty of medicine at Liverpool University, having spent most of his career as a pharmacologist based at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London (1972 to 1997).
The last two years at St Mary’s were as Dean, during which time John was part of a team which brought together four London medical schools. He went on to hold senior positions in the new Imperial College of Medicine. Since coming to Liverpool in 2002 he led a consortium of North West universities in making a successful bid to have dental and medical students based in Cumbria.
He has held NHS non-executive directorships at St Mary’s Hospital Trust in London and at Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority. He is particularly interested in health inequalities, workforce issues and new ways of working. He is the Board's non-executive member involved in emergency planning.
John is a lay reader in the Church of England and his wife Jill is an Anglican priest. He enjoys travel, theatre, classical music and watching sport.
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