Former National Express chief appointed by Vp

PHIL White, former chief executive of National Express Group, has joined equipment rental specialist Vp as a non-executive director.

Jeremy Pilkington, chairman of Harrogate-based Vp, said: “I am delighted to welcome Phil to the board of Vp. His extensive business experience, both in the UK and internationally, will undoubtedly be a great asset to the group.”

Mr White is non-executive chairman of Kier Group, Lookers and The UNITE Group, as well as a non-executive director at Stagecoach Group.

A graduate of the University of Leeds, Mr White qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte. He subsequently served in a variety of roles in the transport sector, including as CEO of National Express Group from 1997 to 2006.

Peter Parkin, who has served as a non-executive director since January 2000, will not be seeking re-election at the annual general meeting in 2013, said Vp.