A Macclesfield resident was swapped Charter Way for Millbank Drive, as she joins to become the new Chair of a Macclesfield charity.

Juliette White CBE has swapped one medical world for another after agreeing to become the next Chair of East Cheshire Hospice.

Her appointment comes four months after she retired from a senior role with AstraZeneca where she spent 34 years.

Juliette is acting as Chair Elect of the charity for 12 months before officially taking over from Will Spinks in September 2025.

He steps down after reaching the nine-year limit as a Trustee.

Juliette, from Macclesfield, played an important role in securing the supply of medicines during the pandemic and preparations for leaving the EU.

She was awarded the CBE in 2021 for services to 'life sciences and the medical supply chain', in what would be Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's second-to-last Birthday Honours list.

East Cheshire Hospice's entrance. The charity has over 112 employees, 12 trustees, and 400 volunteers (According to the GOV.uk Charities Commission). (Image - East Cheshire Hospice)

Juliette, who is alumni of the University of Birmingham said: "I'm extremely excited to be joining East Cheshire Hospice which has an incredibly strong reputation.

"There are huge parallels to AZ where I've spent my working life. The Hospice is a purpose driven organisation that puts patients and their families at the heart of every decision.

"You can't spend 34 years of your life working for patient outcomes and then suddenly stop the desire to do the right thing for the most vulnerable in society.

"AZ is a long-standing corporate partner of the Hospice.

Signage at end-of-life care centre East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield, Cheshire. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

"Everything the Hospice does is consistent with what it writes down on paper that it stands for. It lives its values and purpose as an organisation.

"It accelerated the move to 'Hospice @ Home' care and has been at the forefront of wanting to innovate and evolve how it provides support to patients and families as society has shifted and changed."

Juliette and husband Howard have three children, Callum, a veterinary surgeon, Hamish, an engineer, and Holly, a medical student at Leeds University.

Their mother's career was spent mostly at AZ's Macclesfield site, near Hurdsfield, apart from a stint in the United States.

Juliette White CBE. (Credit - AstraZeneca)

After starting in HR, she worked mainly in the supply chain, sourcing medicines to patients and managed external commercial supply.

Latterly, she was head of sustainability, focusing on AZ's net zero strategy.

Juliette said: "I still genuinely believe in AZ's mission and purpose, though I also recognise that 34 years is a long time and while I'm still relatively young, fit and healthy it's time to do other things.

"More autonomy means I can get involved with fantastic organisations like the Hospice. It's a life choice and my No 1 priority is my family and to have more time to be present in their lives as well."

Upon leaving AZ, she had said she was leaving the biopharmaceutical firm to 'spend more time with my family and explore new adventures.'. It appears now, she has found one of those new quests, with East Cheshire Hospice. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

Juliette received her CBE in June 2021, just weeks after the final COVID restrictions ceased, alongside seven other AstraZeneca colleagues.

At the time she said: "I'm incredibly proud of all 81,000+ AstraZeneca employees globally for the role they have played in responding to this pandemic.

"Many have worked around the clock in the past 12 months and have put their lives on hold to commit to a bigger humanitarian cause, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe."

It is a busy time of year for the Hospice, as their Art Fair is also currently on in Macclesfield Town Hall (until October 3). Meanwhile, both 'Squat-Tober' and  'Will Month' is also going on for the whole of October.