Housebuilder Vistry Group has announced that senior independent director Rob Woodward will become non-executive chair in May, succeeding outgoing chair and chief executive Greg Fitzgerald.
Woodward, who will take up the role on 13 May following Vistry’s annual general meeting, has been a non-executive senior independent director of Vistry and chair of the nomination committee since joining the board in May 2024.
Fitzgerald announced his retirement earlier this month after joining Vistry in 2017. While he will step down as chair in May, he will continue to serve as chief executive until March 2027 or until a successor is appointed.
In 2024, Fitzgerald ranked fourth in Property Week’s top 40 highest-earning chief executives, before dropping off the list last year when his salary fell from £3.17m to £875,000, following cost overuns in its Southern Division in 2024 that resulted in a series of profit hits.
Woodward, whose current role will be taken up by Rowan Baker, has experience across both the public and private sectors, having previously served as chief executive of STV Group for over 10 years and as current chair of brands adviser Ebiquity.
In the new role Woodward will lead on the recruitment of new non-executive directors and will oversee the chief executive succession process.
“I am delighted to be appointed chair of Vistry Group and welcome the appointment of Rowan as my replacement as senior independent director,” he said.
“I very much look forward to continuing to work with the board and the senior management team as we focus on rebuilding value by maximising the strengths and opportunities from the group’s mixed tenure partnership model.
“With the scale of the [government’s] Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-36 and the business’ track record of building one in seven of the country’s affordable homes last year, Vistry has a key role to play in delivering the homes this country needs.”
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