Our Office Team

Gillian’s responsibility is to provide inspiration, support and leadership to the organisations team and members. As a member owned and led organisation, her responsibility is to ensure that all of our members, the 41 local authorities and 2 combined authorities have access to the support, advice and guidance they require so that they can provide their best support to their communities.

Prior to her role at North West Employers, Gillian has worked in various Chief Executive & Corporate Director roles within Local Government and at one time, worked as an associate for North West Employers supporting leadership development and executive coaching activity.

Gillian’s favourite pastime out of work: Being active with her family; swimming, walking and skiing.

Gillian’s favourite life quote: ‘’Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breathe away’’

An interesting fact about Gillian: She was one of the youngest Local Authority Chief Executives in the country, and is a volunteer swimming teacher for her local swimming club.

As Executive Director, Sharon is passionate about making sure that we understand what our members want and that we add real value to the work that our members do. Working with the Chief Executive and Leadership Team, Sharon provides leadership and direction to the organisation and is the sub-regional lead for Cumbria and North Lancashire.

Before joining North West Employers in 2013, Sharon spent 10 years in the public sector where she specialised in Organisational Development and before that she worked in the private sector, giving her a good grounding in leadership and management and sparking her interest in learning and development. Her particular areas of focus now include Councillor Development and Leadership Development.

Sharon’s favourite pastime out of work: Sharon loves her holidays and the excitement of exploring new places.

Sharon’s favourite life quote: ‘’Live for the moments you can’t put into words’’

An interesting fact about Sharon: At three years old, Sharon sparked a police hunt after hiding in the back of her Mums car and falling asleep.

Andrew began his career in HR with the Royal mail in the 1980s. He has also worked in the FE sector and joined North West Employers in 1998. He holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and a MA in Human Resource Management.

Andrew’s main role with North West Employers is to advise local authorities and other member organisations on local government conditions of service, teachers’ pay, HR practice and procedure, and general employment law issues.

Andrew’s favourite pastime out of work: Countryside dog walking and trying to keep fit.

Andrew’s favourite life quote: ‘’No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy’’

An interesting fact about Andrew: Aged only 8, Andrew came second in a department store Dr Who competition.

Rebecca has experience of both internal and external HR, as a result she has worked with multiple sectors such as care, hospitality, retail and wholesale, manufacturing, technology and professional services. She holds a CIPD Human Resource Management qualification. 

Rebecca’s role is to provide confidential advice on employment matters and proactively research emerging themes and topics to ensure our members are kept up to date. 

Rebecca’s favourite pastime out of work: Walking her Spaniel, spending time with family and friends and cooking new recipes. 

Rebecca’s favourite life quote: “In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed” 

An interesting fact about Rebecca: I learnt to play the flute when I was 7 years old and completed my flute practical grade exams throughout school. 

Kevan has a background in academia/education focusing on behavioural psychology and social science. He joined Halton Borough Council in 2016 and spent almost seven years applying this knowledge within the field of organisational development. Kevan has delivered keynote speeches for CIPD’s Behavioural Science in The Workplace conference, and has delivered guest lectures focusing on occupational psychology to studying at Liverpool University. He is passionate about using evidence-based research to inform what organisations do, so they can better understand and support human behaviour and potential.

Kevan’s favourite pastime out of work: Keven enjoys socialising with friends and family, keeping fit, being active and spending time with his son.

Kevan’s favourite life quote: Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

An interesting fact about Kevan: At the age of 40, Kevan took skateboarding back up so he could skate with his son who has a passion for the sport.

Pat leads on commercial programmes and consultancy work within the team. She is passionate about learning and development and loves helping our membership organisations, and the wider public sector, in finding the right solutions and interventions to support their staff.

Pat is the longest serving member of staff and has seen the organisation evolve over time to keep pace with the many changes and challenges our sectors face. Most people join public services to make a difference, and I’m pleased to say, I think we’ve achieved this, and I’m glad to be a part of it.

Pat’s favourite pastime out of work: Pat’s favourite pastime is spending it with her family, especially with her first grandson, Sonny. She also loves spending time at her second home in Spain (with and without the family!).

Pat’s favourite life quote: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!”

An interesting fact about Pat: Many moons ago, she sang on stage at the Manchester Apollo with Adele. Pat’s also done a parachute jump and abseiled down a very tall building!!

After originally joining North West Employers as a Support Assistant in 2004, Sarah has progressed through various roles and has developed an invaluable understanding of our operations.

Sarah is responsible for supporting and coordinating the continuous improvement and ongoing development of North West Employers to ensure that it is efficient, compliant and sustainable.

Sarah’s favourite pastime out of work: Spending time with her family and friends, and baking lot’s of goodies to share. Sarah also enjoys the company of her two cats and a dog, possibly a little more than the muggles in her life.

Sarah’s favourite life quote: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”

Kate comes with experience in Business Support, Finance and Administration in various sectors. Before joining the North West Employers, Kate worked as part of the Workforce, Training and Education Team in NHS England to provide national leadership and coordination for the education and training for the current and future medical workforce across England. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kate moved to the UK since 2022 and started her life journey in Manchester.

Your favourite pastime out of work: Kate loves spending time with her family and enjoys watching films together (annual pass holder at the cinema!). She also enjoys exercising and reading.

Your favourite life quote: “Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savouring the journey.”

Soha studied Theology and Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope University. She then went on to take on a Business Support role at a healthcare recruitment agency before joining us here at North West Employers.

Soha’s favourite pastime outside of work: Soha’s loves to cook and to learn new cuisines. She also loves travel, meet new people and learn about new cultures.

Soha’s favourite life quote: “Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.”