Sandy was brought up in Liverpool, read Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge and after completing his PhD at Manchester he joined Tube Investments in Birmingham in 1970. There followed a successful 15 year progression across 3 different manufacturing industries. Then followed 25 years in the NHS in a variety of posts all at CEO level.

He has been CEO of a Health Authority (in Wigan), a specialist Acute Trust (Birmingham Children's Hospital), and Chief Executive for Heart of Birmingham teaching PCT for his last five years before retiring in March 2010 from full-time employment.

Since his retirement he has run his own consultancy company and undertaken pro-bono roles such as helping design a major Conference in April 2013 on "Reconnecting Faith with Health" and as Chairman of the Children's University.

He has been married for over 46 years to Averyl, who is a priest in the Church of England, and has 3 children.  The youngest, Peter (31) is a young man with Down's Syndrome who lives independently in Carlisle.