Our Board

Edward Pysden, Chairman

Partner, Eversheds LLP
Edward is a Solicitor and recently retired Senior Corporate Partner of Eversheds’ Manchester office and has a strong track record in the management of a diverse range of businesses, transactions and projects for the Public Sector and Private and Public Companies. Edward has a wealth of experience in working with the members of AGMA and other regional statutory bodies, wide experience in managing international business transactions, including in North America, the EU and the Middle East.

He has major strength in strategy with an underpinning of strong financial skills.

Chris Brown

Chief Executive since August 2004. Chris' previous role was as Director of Operations at The Mersey Partnership and prior to that a career in hotels.

Jonathan Slater

Jonathan Slater has been at the helm of The Chester Grosvenor for nearly 27 years, almost 24 of which as Managing Director.  He joined the Board of CWTB in September 2004, and also chairs Marketing Cheshire’s Audit and Remuneration Committee.  

Previously Jonathan was Chairman of the Chester & Cheshire Conference Desk and was instrumental in the transfer of that company to VCC in 2007.  Other roles include board membership of Chester Renaissance and Vice President of Chester Business Club.  

Jonathan is now in his third term as chairman of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a marketing consortium representing in excess of 500 luxury hotels in over 70 countries. A founder director of the consortium, he is passionate about active participation in its worldwide development, focusing on brand distribution and global reservations.  An inexhaustible supporter of tourism to the UK and committed to introducing Cheshire to all corners of the globe, Jonathan undertakes a number of overseas sales trips around the world each year.

Andy Gatcliffe

Andy joined the Board on the 12th November 2008. He is the Chief Executive of Warrington Wolves Rugby League Club and is also a Director of the Rugby Super League. With a business background in Sales and Marketing/Business Management, he has held a number of Senior Management positions and Directorships with several large food service / distribution companies.

Bernice Law

Bernice joined the Board on the 6th February 2008 having been Deputy CEO at the Northwest Regional Development Agency and on secondment to the Liverpool Culture Company as their Chief Operating Officer during 2008. She has contributed greatly to the development of new thinking within the Board.

Roger Gorham

Roger is a Director of Bride Hall Holdings, where he is responsible for the asset management of the investment portfolio.  His current workload is primarily focused on three shopping centres in Chester, Edgware and Epsom, which total over 900,000sq.ft. 

During his career Roger has worked for Hammerson plc, initially being responsible for the asset management of Hammerson’s UK Shopping Centres including Brent Cross, and Merseyway Stockport and latterly working on the large retail-led city centre redevelopments at The Oracle Reading and Bullring Birmingham.  

Roger has also worked on the Warner Estate Holdings Agora Fund’s development portfolio which included the redevelopment of Market Hall Bolton (100,000 sq.ft), the master-planning of Birkenhead Town Centre (750,000 sq.ft) and the development options for The Pallasades, Birmingham.

Councillor Jamie Macrae

Jamie is the political member representing Cheshire East Council.  He gained a BA (Hons) degree and Diploma in Architecture at Manchester University, becoming a chartered architect and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1983. He spent 22 years working for one of the UK’s major construction companies within their Design Group. Since 2005, he has worked as a part-time consultant architect to industry to enable him to devote more time in his demanding role as a Cabinet Member and now Portfolio Holder for Prosperity at Cheshire East Council.

Councillor Stuart Parker

Stuart is the political member representing Cheshire West & Chester Council, on which he is the Portfolio Holder and Executive Member for Culture and Recreation, in addition to also being a member of the Cheshire West & Chester Executive Committee. Stuart is also a local businessman, and he has owned and operated a number of businesses in the recycling and environmental sectors over the last twenty five years.

Dennis Dunn MBE  JP  BA(Hons)  MA  FInstAM

Dennis is Pro Vice Chancellor responsible for all international affairs at the Manchester Metropolitan University and Dean of MMU Cheshire, where he has overseen a £70m transformation of the University’s Crewe campus. 

He began his academic career following eighteen years in the commercial sector as Director of a retail group.  A senior magistrate, appointed to the courts in 1986, Dennis is also a Business Ambassador for Cheshire and Visiting Professor at universities in China and the Czech Republic, where he is also currently expert advisor for a major European Commission project investigating Lean Universities.  Additionally, he serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Mid Cheshire Foundation Hospital Trust.

Awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2010 for services to higher education, Dennis relaxes by keeping fit and playing acoustic guitar, though never simultaneously.

Peter Taylor

Peter is Head of Services for Environment and Regeneration at Warrington Borough Council. He joined the Board on the 17th March 2008. Peter also represents the Borough Council on Warrington & Co' working closely with our Chief Executive.

Angie Robinson

Angie is Chief Executive of Manchester Central Convention Complex. Formerly she was Chief Executive of MIDAS (Manchester Inward Investment Development and Advisory Service) and before that Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She joined the Board of Marketing Cheshire in September 2011.

Angie has extensive experience as a non-executive Director in both the Public and Private Sectors.

Angie has lived in Cheshire for the last 28 years.

Howard R Hopwood
Chairman, HARMAN technology Limited 

Howard has worked in the Photographic Business for 40 years and is Chairman of HARMAN technology, which is the company that bought the ILFORD Black and White business 6 years ago.

He began as a Research Chemist, developing Silver Halide emulsions then moved into Technical Service to support the launch of the world’s first Chromogenic Black and White Film (the negative contained no silver).