Kent-based housebuilder Vistry boosts its board with two appointments

Kent-based housebuilder Vistry, formerly Bovis Homes, has bolstered its board of directors with two high-profile appointments.

Rob Woodward will join as a senior independent director with effect from the close of the group's AGM on May 16 this year, while Alice Woodwark will become a non-executive director at the same time.

READ MORE: Vistry shares rise as housebuilder looks to build over 17,500 new homes

For continuity and to allow more time to recruit a second non-exec director, Chris Browne has agreed to stay on as a non-exec director for up to one more year, having been on the board since September, 2014, the company said.

"We are delighted to have recruited two new high calibre Directors to the Board, in particular putting in place a strong Senior Independent Director to bolster our Board governance," said chair Ralph Findlay OBE.

"Rob and Alice's respective experience in both the public and private sectors will be hugely valuable as we continue to execute the Group's Partnership strategy. We will continue our search for a second Non-Executive Director and will update the market on our progress with this appointment in due course."

Woodward has held leadership positions across the public and private sectors and has been chair of the Met Office since 2018 - a role he will relinquish later this year after two terms.

He is currently Chair of Court at Glasgow Caledonian University and Chair of listed marketing analytics provider Ebiquity plc. He was previously Commercial Director at Channel 4 Television, Managing Director with UBS Corporate Finance and lead partner for Deloitte's Telecoms, Media & Technology Industry Group in Europe.

As previously announced, Greg Fitzgerald will take up the new role of executive chair and CEO at Vistry with effect from the close of the AGM.

Meanwhile, Alice Woodwark has been managing director of Mitie Group plc's communities division since 2021 and started her career with management consultancy McKinsey.

She joined Compass Group in 2013, serving as group head of strategy and M&A and subsequently in managing director positions for Compass UK.

At Vistry, she will serve as a member of the Nomination Committee, Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee.

Last month, Vistry reported its full year results, which showed it was on track to deliver strong growth in completions in 2024, against a backdrop of a pick-up in demand and easing mortgage rates.

It said it was targeting over 17,500 units (homes) in full year to end-December 2024, having built 16,118 new homes in 2023, down only 5.4% on the proforma prior year.