Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Alistair Reid-Pearson

Chief Digital Information Officer

With over 20 years of experience in digital leadership roles across higher education and the NHS, Alistair has a passion for ‘tech for good' and building digital as a capability, rather than a utility. He started his career in technical IT roles supporting Apple mac deployments before specialising in IT service management, strategy and digital transformation. An MBA graduate and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, he is also a qualified coach, mentor, and project manager; with a particular passion for values and building positive team culture. He is also a published indie author, spending his spare time writing teen science fiction novels.

Arun Chidambaram

Chief Medical Officer

Arun is a forensic psychiatrist and joined us from Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust where he held the role of Executive Medical Director, having previously served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Locality Medical Director at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. Arun holds two masters' degrees in psychiatry and a postgraduate certificate in healthcare leadership. He brings with him extensive medical leadership experience.

Carol Harris

Chief Operating Officer

Originally qualifying as a mental health nurse in Manchester in 1987, Carol has worked in a wide range of roles across mental health and community services and has held senior clinical and operational leadership roles. Carol has in-depth practical knowledge of leading and delivering services to diverse communities across a wide geographical area. Her passion is working with staff, service users and partners to provide the best care and facilitate the best outcomes for the people of Greater Manchester.

Claus Madsen

Chief People Officer

Claus joined GMMH in October 2024 from Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC), where he held the post of Chief People Officer. Prior to that he worked at sub-Board level in Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and chaired the Culture and Leadership Network for Ambulance Services across the UK. Before joining the NHS in 2016 he worked in senior leadership roles in the private sector globally as well as in the private and public sector in Denmark. Nationally, Claus is involved in the Future of human resources (HR) and organisational development (OD) in the NHS as a member of NHS England's (NHSE) People Professional Development Board. As a member of the Department of Health and Social Care's Messenger Leadership Review Implementation Office he assists in translating the review's seven key recommendations into tangible solutions to transform leadership and management across health and social care. Claus is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and holds a BA (Hons) in Teaching, an MA in Educational Sociology and an MSc in Leadership and Management.

David Warhurst

Chief Finance Officer

David started his career in the private sector but has now worked in the NHS for the last 17 years, holding senior roles within provider and commissioning organisations. Most recently, he was the Deputy Chief Finance Officer for the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and brings extensive experience of working with systems and NHSE. He brings a track record of being able to realise benefits on a system level that lead to improvements in patient care and outcomes, including helping the system secure and deliver major capital investments. David holds the qualification as a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA). As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.

Elizabeth Calder

Director of Strategy and Partnerships

Liz joined GMMH in 2019 from the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, where she held the post of Deputy Director of Strategy and Planning and provided strategic leadership and support to key programmes of work. Since joining the NHS as a Graduate Management Trainee in 1994, Liz has worked in senior roles across the North West of England including commissioning, community, acute and tertiary organisations. As an Economics graduate with an MA from University of Manchester, Liz has extensive experience in strategic change, significant transactions, service developments, contracting, tenders, planning and operational management. Recent roles have included working with partners to establish the first Integrated Care Organisation in the country and the national proton therapy service at The Christie.

Marc Reed

Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities

Marc started with GMMH in May 2019, and joined the executive team as our Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities on the 1 June 2025. With over 22 years NHS experience, Marc has an extensive knowledge of healthcare estate and facilities management and specialist project delivery, and has previously worked at acute provider organisations in Tameside and Stockport, acting across several senior leadership roles. Since 2020, Marc was also the Project Director for GMMH's flagship North View development which opened in November 2024. With investment of £106m, the new hospital was successfully delivered on time, in scope, and within budget and continues to be recognised nationally, scooping several prestigious building and project awards to date. Marc is also a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and acts as a councillor to support aspiring RICS members through their assessment of professional competence.

Paul Howard

Director of Corporate Affairs

Prior to joining Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT, Paul was the Director of Corporate Affairs at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A registered paramedic, Paul began his NHS career in 2001 with the then Greater Manchester Ambulance Service, undertaking a range of clinical roles before moving into the corporate governance field. Since then, Paul has worked in corporate governance roles in both the health and education sectors and in 2014 he was named Company Secretary of the Year in the not-for-profit sector by the Chartered Governance Institute. In the same year, Paul coordinated the development of new national rules on behalf of NHS Providers which allowed votes in elections to FT councils of governors to be cast online or by text message to increase participation and engagement. Paul is the Co-Chair of the NHS Providers Company Secretary Network and the tutor and examiner for the Chartered Governance Institute's Advanced Certificate in Health Service Governance. Paul holds a Bachelor of Laws degree with Honours and a Master of Laws Degree in Legal Practice, with a focus on Intellectual Property.

Salli Midgley

Chief Nurse

She has worked as a registered nurse for more than 30 years working in a range of mental health services across Yorkshire and the Humber including part time posts with the CQC. Prior to working in Sheffield, Salli led work nationally on reducing restrictive interventions with NHS England, along with leading national quality improvement projects in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services and Learning Disability and Autism services. Salli is a trustee for the Restraint Reduction Network and a member of the National HOPES programme to reduce segregation and seclusion across England as well as a member of the National Oversight group for ICETRs. Salli also co-hosts the national positive and safe working group for mental health providers in England.

Chrissie Cooke

Non-Executive Director / Senior Independent Director

Chrissie recently retired. Prior to retirement Chrissie was Chief Nurse at Sefton CCG where she had oversight of quality and safety of commissioned services. She was also chair of Visyon Ltd, a charity dedicated to mental health and emotional support for children and young people in Cheshire, and Executive Nurse Consultant for Niche Patient Safety Ltd. A significant portion of her career has been dedicated to the NHS where she has served as a practitioner, middle manager and director and she has held senior leadership roles in children's and adult Social Services. Chrissie has extensive experience in very senior leadership and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in quality and patient safety. Having dedicated her career to mental health and learning disabilities, she possesses a thorough understanding of the care sector, having worked in board roles for the past 16 years. She also has lived experience of using mental health services. As well as her role at GMMH Chrissie is also Vice Chair at Creative Support Ltd, a national not-for-profit housing and social care provider. Current term ends 8 May 2027.

Claire Postlethwaite

Non-Executive Director

Claire is a qualified accountant who began her career on the NHS National Finance and Accountancy Management Scheme. She went on to gain experience in the private sector before progressing into senior finance leadership roles across local government and the housing association sector. Claire served as Deputy Section 73 Officer at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and in January 2026, she was appointed Executive Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer for Warrington Borough Council. Alongside her professional responsibilities, Claire is committed to supporting her local community. She serves as a Finance Trustee for the Warrington Wolves Foundation, which champions inclusivity, wellbeing and empowerment through projects ranging from disability sport and mental health support to activities for older people. Claire also manages an inclusive, award‑winning ladies' football team affiliated with a club that recognises the positive social and community impact of grass roots and community sport. Current term ends 31 October 2028.

Heather Etheridge

Non-Executive Director

Prior to this, Heather spent nearly five years at The Big Life Group, where she provided strategic leadership across health and wellbeing services, and served as the strategic safeguarding lead for all children's services. Her expertise in governance, service design, and quality assurance has made a lasting impact on the delivery of inclusive, high-quality care across the region. Heather is also Chair of the Greater Manchester Healthwatch Network, where she champions the voice of people and communities in shaping health and care services. Her passion lies in ensuring that individuals are not only heard but are equal partners in the systems that serve them. Born and raised in Greater Manchester, Heather is deeply committed to social justice, equity and the belief that every person deserves access to safe, effective, and person-centred services. Her appointment to the GMMH Board as Non-Executive Director brings a powerful blend of lived regional experience, cross-sector insight, and an unwavering focus on quality and accountability. Current term ends 18 May 2027.

Marc Smith

Non-Executive Director

Marc is a senior Black leader and mentor with over 30 years in the Civil Service, passionate about driving meaningful change for service users. Currently in HMRC, Marc heads up the Transformation & Governance, where he focuses on improving how services are delivered and ensuring our security capabilities reflect both corporate and social values. During the COVID 19, he was seconded to the UK Health Security Agency, helping to build its security and information systems/resource capabilities from the ground up. Outside of work, Marc is deeply committed to public service. He has served as a school governor at Manchester Hospital School, helping to secure increased funding and improve educational outcomes, and currently serves as the SEND governor at North Manchester Primary Federation. As an Associate NED, Marc also served on the Cheshire & Merseyside ICB board, gaining insight into how health and social care systems work together. Marc is known for building inclusive teams and mentoring future leaders - especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds - because he believes in lifting others as he climbs. Marc is Chair of the People and Culture Committee. Current term ends 31 April 2028.

Nicki Buckley

Non-Executive Director

Nicki is an ACCA qualified accountant, with a 20-year career in finance. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in finance, regulation, risk management and assurance. Having worked in the social housing sector for the last 10 years, she has progressed her career to executive director level, gaining significant experience managing various stakeholders relationships such as, Regulators, Funders, and Boards, reporting financial management, performance, statutory accounts, risk and assurance. Nicki is passionate and enthusiastic and believes putting people at the forefront of business decisions is key to delivering good quality outcomes. Continually seeking ways in which we can positively impact people's lives, she is an advocate for efficiency and effectiveness, driving innovative solutions to focus time on delivering excellence and value for money throughout frontline services. She has lived experience as a service user of GMMH, accessing mental health services at intervals throughout her life and received an ADHD diagnosis in 2022. She is passionate about raising awareness around the benefits and challenges this brings and aim is to change people's attitudes and biases. Current term ends December 2026.

Simone Spray

Non-Executive Director

Simone has led 42nd Street for 10 years; the charity supports 11-25 year olds in Greater Manchester with their emotional well-being and mental health, offering a choice of effective, young person-centred, rights-based therapeutic, group, creative, social action and digital approaches. Simone is committed to co-creation and co-design alongside experts with lived and professional experience and she uses this approach in her role as chair of the GM VCSE Mental Health Leadership Group, Co-Deputy Chair of Young Manchester and a Trustee for Gorse Hill Arts Studios. Current term ends on 8 May 2027.

Stewart Lucas

Non-Executive Director / Vice Chair

In both roles, and continuing to this day, he sees his role to be a custodian for those whom GMMH provides services for. He believes emphatically that we need to be always person-centred and patient-focused and uses his position on the board to ensure that those concepts are at the heart of all discussions. In his spare time, he is an amateur music journalist reviewing bands you have never heard of with logos you can't read. Current terms ends 28 February 2028.