Harrogate-based equipment rental group Vp plc announced the appointment of former Mitie Group executive Alice Woodwark as chief executive officer.
Woodwark will assume the role on February 1, 2026, working closely with outgoing CEO Anna Bielby for a short handover period.
“The board commenced a search for a successor to Anna Bielby in September and considered a range of high quality candidates,” said Vp.
“The board concluded that Alice was an excellent candidate to take on the role of CEO given her extensive leadership and operational experience, with a strong track record in B2B blue-collar services and listed FTSE companies.
“Alice’s leadership style places a strong emphasis on people and customers, alongside a passion for leading businesses that deliver positive change within the communities they serve.
“Alice’s most recent role was with Mitie Group plc, a facilities management services provider to clients across the UK private and public sectors, where she was a Managing Director, leading its public sector division ‘Communities’.
“Prior to that, Alice held several leadership roles at Compass Group, including Group Head of Strategy and M&A and Managing Director positions for Compass UK.
“Alice started her career with management consultancy McKinsey & Company, working extensively across the UK and US in the infrastructure, transport, hospitality and retail sectors.
“She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of UK Housebuilder Vistry Group PLC, serving on its Nomination, Remuneration and Audit Committees.”
Vp executive chair Jeremy Pilkington said: “I am really looking forward to working with Alice and I am confident that her experience, values and leadership style make her an excellent choice to lead the group into its next phase.”
Woodwark said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the CEO of Vp, serving industry-leading customers across our target markets. I look forward to working with the excellent team at Vp to execute our strategy, prioritising the delivery of shareholder value through growth and operational excellence.”