Louise Shepherd CBE

Louise Shepherd CBE, the Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, was chosen as a LJMU Bicentenary honorary fellow because of her transformative, visionary leadership in healthcare for the benefit of young people. She was presented with her honour at a special ceremony at St George's Hall by Hannah Argo, LJMU’s Finance Director.

Louise said: “I’m hugely grateful and humbled to be recognised by Liverpool John Moores University in its Bicentenary year, with what is its highest honour – an honorary fellowship. My co-recipients are a wonderful group. LJMU and Alder Hey have a fantastic relationship that reaches back many years. Thank you to LJMU Chancellor Nisha Katona and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power, and to the university as a whole. Here’s to the next 200 years of our partnership.”

A graduate of the University of Cambridge, before joining the NHS as Director of Business Development at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital in 1993, Louise worked at KPMG as a financial and management consultant to the public sector.

Louise has been the Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust since 2008, during which time she successfully guided the trust through a major transformation into Europe's first Children's Health Park. The Park was designed by and for children and young people and opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2016.

The Park aims to provide a world-leading holistic health and wellbeing environment for all children and young people and compromises a state-of-the-art specialist children's hospital and mental health facilities, a dedicated Children's Research Institute and Academy, incorporating four university partners including LJMU, an Innovation Centre working with industry partners to create leading-edge technologies, a NIHR Clinical Research Facility and a family support and bereavement centre.

In a distinguished NHS career spanning more than 30 years, Louise has also served as the Chief Executive of Liverpool Women's Hospital, led several national and regional programmes, was Co-Chair of the National Children's Hospital Alliance, and the Senior Responsible Officer for the Cheshire and Mersey Children's Transformation programme "Beyond" and the establishment of the initial Sustainability and Transformation Programme for Cheshire and Merseyside in 2016/2017.

In 2017, Louise was awarded the CBE for services to Healthcare in The Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Louise was appointed Chair of NHS England's Children and Young People (CYP) Transformation Board in March 2023.

On Louise being appointed Chair, Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: "Looking after the health and wellbeing of children and young people is of utmost importance, after all, they make up a third of the population of England and are our future. Louise's unwavering dedication and vast experience in this area are a real asset to this vitally important role."

And Louise said: "It is a privilege to be appointed to this role. I look forward to working alongside system leaders, partners and young people themselves to make a difference and help improve outcomes for children and young people in this country."

The CYP Transformation Board was established to oversee the delivery of Long-Term Plan commitments concerning children and young people and comprises key partners across health, care, and education. She was previously a member of the Board since April 2021 as co-chair of the National Children's Hospital Alliance.

Louise also has a strong interest in the Arts and was appointed Chair of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Board in November 2022 and plays the violin for the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra.