Joint Chair and Non-Executive Directors

Steve was appointed as Joint Chair for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) in December 2025. Previous to this, Steve held the position of Non-Executive Director at WUTH since 2018 and WCHC since 2024.

He was previously a Non–Executive Director and Senior Independent Director at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, where he chaired their Audit Committee and Integrated Governance and Risk Committee.

Steve was also the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Edge Hill University where he had responsibility for the operational areas of Capital Projects, Financial Services, Human Resources, IT Services, Learning Services, Strategic Policy & Planning, and Facilities Management. He was also a Director of a number of Edge Hill’s commercial enterprises. 

Steve graduated with a first degree in Law from the University of Liverpool, he subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988 and went on to become a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, with specific expertise in project management and advising listed PLCs on Corporate Governance and Risk Management. 

Steve served two terms as a member of the Higher Education Regulatory Review Group (HERRG) advising the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) on the regulation of the Higher Education Sector.

He was a founding Director and Company Secretary for the North West’s largest regional Metropolitan area network, Net North West for six years. Steve is a past chair of the North West Consortium Higher Level Teaching Assistants Board (PRIME) and was a Trustee of Respiratory Education UK.

Steve was appointed Joint Non-Executive Director for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) in November 2025. Previous to this, Steve held the position of Non-Executive Director at WUTH since 2021.

Steve Ryan held the post of Consultant Paediatrician and specialised mainly in general paediatrics but included specialty work in his clinical career. He spent some time in academic practice - his main research interests being in nutrition of premature babies and headaches in children.

Steve has over 12 years of experience as an Executive Medical Director in Merseyside at Alder Hey and in London at Barts Health. He undertook a range of regional strategic roles in the North West and London including being the Clinical Chair of the NHS Next Stage ("Darzi") review in the North West 2008. Whilst in London he provided leadership in the transformation of young people's mental health services and in the reconfiguration of cancer and cardiac services.

Chris was appointed Joint Non-Executive Director for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) in August 2025. Previous to this, Chris held the position of Non-Executive Director at WCHC since 2019.

Chris has worked at Board level in the NHS for 22 years.

He was Director of Policy and Public Health in Health Authorities in West Sussex and then Sheffield, and subsequently for the Strategic Health Authority of South Yorkshire.

Chris is a well-known figure in population health and healthcare circles, primarily through his work as Head of the Health Inequalities National Support Team but also more recently as an independent consultant providing advisory support to the Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) agenda.

Haris Sultan joined Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) as Joint Non-Executive Director in July 2025.

Haris brings valuable insight and experience to the role having previously worked with Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, was appointed as the NExT Director for Citizens and Future Generations on West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and has sat on NHS England’s Children and Young People’s Programme Board.

Alongside his professional contributions, Haris is also a medical student at the University of Liverpool and is undertaking an MBA at UCL’s Global Business School for Health.

Lesley Davies OBE FCFE

Lesley was appointed Joint Non-Executive Director for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) in August 2025. Lesley is also the Deputy Chair for WUTH and WCHC.

Previous to this, Lesley held the position of Non-Executive Director at WUTH since 2022.

Lesley has worked in the education and training sector for the majority of her career.    She is Executive Director for the Chartered Institution for Further Education (CIFE) and Honorary Vice President of the Council of British International Schools.  Lesley is also a National Leader of Governance for the Department for Education,  and Chair of Cheshire College South and West.  Prior to her non-executive positions, Lesley was CEO and Principal of the Trafford College Group and Senior Vice President, with the responsibility for qualification development and awarding worldwide, for Pearson. 

Lesley was Chair of the UK Skills Partnership, supported by the Department of International Trade and was a member of the Ministerial Education Advisory Group from 2017-2022. 

Her recent contributions have included supporting the turnaround of colleges in difficulties. She has also developed a groundbreaking Technical Leadership Programme for senior leaders in Further Education and led on the development of the Post Apprenticeship Recognition Programme (PARs) for the Chartered Institute for Further Education.

In 2015 Lesley was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to education and in 2022 she was also awarded Commander of the British Empire.

Meredydd was appointed Joint Non-Executive Director for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) in July 2025. Meredydd is also the Senior Independent Director (SID) for WUTH and WCHC.

Previous to this, Meredydd held the position of Non-Executive Director at WCHC since July 2024.

He has over 25 years senior leadership experience in the further and higher education sector with 14 years as Principal and Chief Executive of Reaseheath College, near Nantwich. He has been a board member and also Chair of numerous national education, quality, and education strategy organisations during his career.
Meredydd was awarded an OBE for Services to Education in 2009 and was appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for Cheshire in 2017.

For the past six years he has been a Further Education Commissioner for England, a Ministerial appointment supporting quality and financial improvement across the sector. Meredydd has previously served as Chair and President of the University of Chester Board of Governors and is currently Chair of the Board of Governors at Furness College in Cumbria.