Our Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors sets the overall strategic direction for the Trust and is collectively responsible for monitoring all aspects of performance, providing financial stewardship and ensuring the provision of high quality, safe and effective services.

The Executive Directors manage the day to day operational running of the organisation, whilst the Non-Executive Directors are focused on challenging the Executive Team on management and strategy. The Non-Executive Directors do not hold any managerial responsibility, but are accountable with the Executive Directors for the Trust’s performance. The contribution of Non-Executive Directors, and their relationships with Executive Directors and governors, is facilitated by the Chair.

All of our Non-Executive Directors are considered to be independent, as they have not been employed previously by the Trust and do not have any financial or other business interest in the organisation. Chrissie Cooke is our Senior Independent Director.

Details of our Board meetings, Agenda and Papers are available on this page: Board Meetings

The Committees of our Board of Directors are:

Audit and Risk Committee Finance and Performance Committee Mental Health Legislation Committee

People and Culture Committee Quality and Safety Committee Remuneration Committee

You can find out more about the work of these committees in the Trust’s Annual Report - Publications | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk)

The Board works closely with our Council of Governors to enable the governors to carry out their statutory duties. Governors’ views are sought on the Trust’s forward plans and the Board also provides feedback on the Trust’s undertakings and performance.

Our Council of Governors provide local accountability by representing the interests of members and partner organisations. The Board of Directors retains overall responsibility for decision-making, except where the Council of Governors has statutory responsibilities.

Members of the Board of Directors can be contacted via communications@gmmh.nhs.uk or 0161 773 9121.

Our Constitution contains more detailed information on how the Board and Council of Governors operate.

Tony Warne is Professor Emeritus in Mental Health Care at the University of Salford, and the former Dean of the School of Health and Society, and Associate Pro Vice Chancellor. He has worked in NHS mental health care services since 1975, as a practitioner, manager and academic. The focus of his research interest is on inter-personal, intra-personal and extra-personal relationships, using a psychodynamic and managerialist analytical discourse. He has published extensively in these areas. 

He is the co-editor and author of the books using Patient Experience in Nurse Education and Creative Approaches to Health and Social Care Education. Previously he was a Non-Executive Director and Vice Chair for Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS FT, a Non-Executive Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS FT and Chair at Stockport NHS FT.

Reappointed to a second term which will expire on 31 December 2029

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.

Heather Etheridge is a respected strategic leader with a career spanning over two decades across health, wellbeing, and community sectors in Greater Manchester. As CEO of Manchester Youth Zone, part of the OnSide Network, she leads an organisation that supports and inspires young people, drawing on her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing communities today.

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.

Stewart Lucas is a seasoned leader with a passion for equality and diversity. As an openly disabled person, he believes unequivocally that it is society that creates the barriers to equality. He has worked at CEO level within various equality charities for 30 years, including taking the lead on the Paralympic legacy for London 2012 (to this day the only host city to ever see an increase in physical activity levels of disabled people). He has worked in mental health since 2013, initially as CEO of Lancashire Mind, then as lead for VCSE integration within the Greater Manchester integrated care system, and currently as Head of system influencing for National Mind. Prior to becoming a board member, he was a governor at Greater Manchester Mental Health.

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.

 

Simone Spray (she/her) has been working with children, young people, families and communities for over 30 years driven by a passion for equality, social justice, youth empowerment and creativity. A qualified Psychologist and Youth Worker, Simone cut her teeth in the Greater Manchester public sector and then went onto lead the UK Child Poverty Programme at Save the Children, scaling up evidence-based programmes within the political infrastructures of each nation. 

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.

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.

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. 

Chris Oliver joined Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trusts (GMMH) in July 2026, from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), where he served as Chief Executive Officer since 2022. Previously, Chris held leadership roles at other providers, including Chief Operating Officer at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Director of Operations at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Chris brings extensive leadership experience spanning finance, operational management and organisational performance. He has a strong track record of delivering sustained improvements, with a particular focus on enhancing quality outcomes and empowering colleagues. Throughout his career, he has successfully led teams through complex and challenging environments, driving meaningful and lasting change.

In early 2024, Chris was appointed as one of the Mental Health Trust Chief Executives on the Board of Trustees for NHS Providers. He is proud to represent the mental health sector at a national level, championing improvements for both patients and staff. Chris is also an active member of the NHS Confederation’s Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network.

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. 

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.

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. 

 

Alistair Reid-Pearson joined GMMH in September 2025 from The Christie NHS Foundation Trust where he held the post of Chief Information Officer at and was also CIO Product Director for the Greater Manchester Care Record.  

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.

David Warhurst joined GMMH in April 2025 as the 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).