Kathy Cowell OBE. DL is blessed with abundant leadership qualities, a strong work ethos, an eye for detail, plus a caring nature. Above all, she has the support of her husband John, their two sons and their young families. She could quite well rest perched prettily on her laurels and bask in her own glory, staying home in Wilmslow. But that is not her style. She simply marches on, so much so that pinning her down for an interview can be tricky in itself- but well worth the effort! Kathy is pragmatic, realistic and despite all accolades does not emanate any patronising, ‘do-gooder’ vibes. Instead, she manifests a genuine interest in everything and everyone around her and remains determined to effect change for the better wherever possible. And she succeeds.
Neither a nurse nor a medic nor a university graduate, Kathy’s personality, her impetus and aptitude propelled her over the years from a Cheshire Building Society (CBS) bank arrears clerk to the Chair of the Board of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. This really is a big deal. Its £2.9 billion budget funds ten hospitals across Manchester and two of Trafford’s and Manchester’s local care organisations, employing 28,000 staff and an additional 8,000 who enjoy honorary contracts with the trust. And it is a responsibility Kathy has never shirked.
Looking back, she was always at ease dealing with the general public, good with numbers and related particularly well to the more personal aspects of banking.
She recalls,’ I spent 24 years with Cheshire Building Society and I rose to regional manager, overseeing 800 staff in the mortgage department. I was also the lead executive for Human Resources and for Corporate Social Responsibility and took on the role of its training assistant, though I’d never done training. But the job came up, so I did a presentation about how we train staff to be good employees. And by training people for 2 years, I got to know everyone in the organisation. The principle is that if someone feels valued and looked after, that person will also look after our customers and ultimately be a good employer too. Originally, when Colin Whittle approached me offering me the post of CBS’s HR Director, I refused it because I had no HR degree. His response was, ‘I have umpteen people in the department with HR degrees, but you bring common sense and leadership.’ So, Kathy acquiesced and took the job. Still impressed by the CBS, now part of Nationwide Building Society, she states,
‘The CBS had always emphasised the human, if not the humane side of banking. Its ethos aligned with my own. We were reminded to always think of the customer, to consider what was best for that customer and what we could do to help that customer if possible, to stay in their house. And anyway, I just loved putting people in a better place.’
She continues, ‘Nowadays, the ‘big push’ is population health. In Manchester, we have some very deprived communities. So, if you have very little money, it’s far easier and cheaper to buy a white sliced loaf than a granary one, and that is what you do. And to get your children to school, you know as a parent that you have to put shoes on your kids’ feet, so you do. But making those choices can be difficult. We have to help and guide people towards making those decisions. It bothers me that in Manchester, there are so many extremes. Did you know that if your home is in Hale, you will live 10 years longer than if you live a mere tram journey away in Cheetham Hill? That’s food for thought, isn’t it?”
In the late Queen’s 2014 New Year’s Honours List, Kathy Cowell was awarded the OBE for her contribution and service to the communities of Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Taken aback but thrilled, she adds, ‘I had no idea I’d been nominated or by whom! I felt really honoured and humbled and quite overwhelmed as it also makes everyone around me feel good, not just me, but my family, friends and colleagues too! “
I’ve worked in great organisations with some amazing people and met some ordinary people doing the most extraordinary things.
My mantra, and what I tell everyone, is ‘Remember, when you’re asked to do something, always say ‘Yes!’ and then work out how you’ll do it! And above all, always be kind.’
Kathy Cowell has held several Chairman and Non-Executive roles in the health sector in both provider and commissioner organisations. These include Chairman of the East Cheshire NHS Acute Trust, NHS Cluster/PCT Chairman, and Vice Chairman of Warrington Hospital NHS Acute Trust
Current roles of Kathy Cowell OBE, DL include:
Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Cheshire
Vice Chair of ‘Cheshire Young Carers’
Chairman of Hammond School Chester
Member of Manchester Health and Well-being Board
Member of Integrated Care Partnership Board
Member of the General Assembly – The University of Manchester
Member of Manchester Academic Health Science Centre
Chairman of MFT Charity
High Sheriff of Cheshire 2016 – 2017
By Fay Wertheimer
