SOLD OUT | NorthFold: Delivering growth across Wigan and Bolton

David Molyneux was elected to the Council in 1982 for the Ince Ward. He is an engineer by profession and in the latter part of his career was the Head of Purchasing in the Aerospace industry. Since being elected David has served the Council in a number of positions including Chair and Vice Chair of the Planning and Development Committee and has served on the Housing, Highway and Works and Policy and Resources Committees. David was elected Leader of Wigan Council in May 2018 after holding the position of Deputy for the previous 10 years where he had responsibility for the environment and regeneration. As Leader he retains the Portfolio for Economic Development and Regeneration. He also holds the GMCA portfolio for Resources/Finance.

Alison is Chief Executive at Wigan Council having worked in Local Government for the last 15 years and previously in the Civil Service for twenty years. Alison is also the place lead for health and care integration and NHS GM Integrated Care Board. Alison is the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) lead Chief Executive for Health and Care, Culture and the GM Resilience Forum. Alison is passionate about public services and determined to make a difference for residents and communities. She is dedicated to inspiring the next female generation and committed to collaboration, innovation and technology. Alison is Chair of iNetwork and is a Board Member of Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) and spokesperson for Solace on the digital agenda. Alison is also a Board member for Open Data Manchester and Wigan and Leigh College. In June 2024 Alison was awarded an OBE for services to local government. Alison was also named in the Northern Power Women Top 50 Power list and one of the most influential digital leaders in Greater Manchester. Wigan Council was named LGC Council of the Year 2019, Northern Power Women Large Organisation, iESE Council of the Year 2021 and APSE Council of the Year 2023.

Cllr Nick Peel is Leader of Bolton Council and is the Greater Manchester Combined Authority portfolio lead for the Digital City-Region. First elected to the council in 2000, he has held a number of cabinet portfolios covering children’s services, housing, environmental services, regulatory services, the economy, and skills, as well as serving as Chairman of Planning. A proud Boltonian, Nick is an enthusiastic ambassador for his home town and is always ready to champion Bolton’s many economic, cultural and sporting achievements. As leader, one of his key priorities is the ongoing transformation of Bolton Town Centre including the flagship redevelopment of Crompton Place. The regeneration and economic wellbeing of the wider borough are at the heart of his vision for the future.

An accountant by training, Sue joined Bolton Council in 2008 as Deputy Treasurer, later becoming Treasurer, Corporate Director and Deputy Chief Executive before being appointed Chief Exec in 2022. Sue’s priority is building and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders, including employers, investors and developers. Sue has overall responsibility for the council’s regeneration masterplan, a comprehensive vision for redevelopment backed by policies to boost local investment, attract more visitors and capitalise on Bolton’s unrivalled cultural offer. She is passionate about projects that give Bolton residents the opportunity to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.

Mel is a regeneration specialist with 18-years’ experience of large-scale project delivery across the UK. She is passionate about transforming places and delivering regional growth and has a particular focus on cities and local and regional Government. She currently works on a range of commissions for public sector organisations, preparing business cases for central government funding, providing regeneration strategy and delivery advice, and overseeing significant stakeholder engagement programmes.

A property development and investment expert, proud to be part of a five-generation, Wigan business. With passion and dedication, John has built a specialist property development company and grown a substantial portfolio of commercial and residential property throughout the North West of England. John has worked in property for over 20 years and has a proven track record of working with investors to achieve rapid growth of their property portfolios. He takes a personal approach in establishing productive strategic relationships with serious investors and financiers throughout the property and financial industry. Buying the right property and having the investment toolkit in-house as well as strong industry connections has been key to the success and rapid growth of The Heaton Group.

Kevin is a Director at corporate political communications consultancy Cavendish. He has over 15 year's experience advising clients across the property, energy and infrastructure sectors on their investments across the North of England. He has a deep understanding of the politics of planning and works with local communities and their elected representatives to understand the need for and build acceptance of changes to the built environment.

Peel Land are a key partner in the delivery of the NorthFold vision – owning several strategic sites within the growth corridor. They are committed to bringing these forward via public-private partnerships. A number of these projects can start in the next 12 months – helping solve the UK’s housing crisis and contributing towards the government’s housing targets. Alongside this is a broader vision for long-term projects like Hulton Park and Health Innovation Bolton that will stimulate economic growth and deliver social value.

Professor Clapham is the chief operating officer & Registrar at the Institute of Medicine at the University of Greater Manchester and is a member of the founding team and executive of the undergraduate medical school. He is a scientist with a long-standing interest in molecular biology, biochemistry and pharmacology. After completing his PhD at Birkbeck College, University of London, he spent more than 35 years working in drug discovery in the UK and Sweden, gradually taking on leadership roles and contributing to research teams and academic collaborations. His work led to an Honorary Professorship at the University of Warwick Medical School, where he supported teaching and research alongside his industry responsibilities. In 2013, he joined the University of Buckingham as Professor of Metabolic Disease Drug Discovery in the Clore Laboratory. There, he also helped the founding team establish the university’s medical school and guide it through approval until a dean was appointed. John later served as Pro Vice Chancellor for Health and Research, a role that allowed him to support wider scientific and educational initiatives. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and continues to stay involved in the field, including serving as a lay examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He now holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the University of Buckingham.”

Audrey leads on stakeholder engagement and strategic relationships with key partners in Greater Manchester including all the Local Authorities, and supports on priority in-market activities such as India and China. She previously worked in the Creative, Digital and Tech Sector team at MIDAS attracting digital businesses to set up into the city-region. Prior to MIDAS, Audrey worked for ten years in the commercial team for Marketing Manchester, the marketing agency in charge of promoting Greater Manchester on the global stage. Audrey moved from France to Manchester city-region over 20 years ago.

Anna has worked in further education for over 30 years and has spent nearly all her professional career in the North-West. She has been Principal & chief executive officer at Wigan and Leigh for 10 years, establishing it as one of the largest colleges in the country for the provision of apprenticeships and earlier this year secured Technical Excellence College status, one of only 10 in the country. Anna is also Chair of the GM Colleges partnership, playing a pivotal role in how local and national skills policy impacts across both further education and Greater Manchester, and is a lay member of the Board at the University of Manchester.