Former Mitie executive joins VP plc as CEO

The new CEO of VP plc will be Alice Woodwark, who will join the rental business on 1 February. Woodwark comes from facilities management company Mitie Group where she was most recently a managing director, leading its public sector Communities division.

Before Mitie she held several leadership roles at Compass Group, including group head of Strategy and M&A and managing director positions at Compass UK. Woodwark started her career with McKinsey & Co, where she worked in the UK and US in sectors including infrastructure, transport, hospitality and retail.

She joins after VP initiated a recruitment search in September to replace current CEO Anna Bielby, who had announced her intention to step down from the role.

Alice Woodwark, who becomes VP’s CEO on 1 February 2026. (Image: VP plc)

VP said its board chose Woodwark for her leadership and operational experience and “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.”

Jeremy Pilkington, VP’s executive chair, 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.”

Alice Woodwark added; “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.”