DERBY, UK – 25 June 2024 – Node4, the award-winning, cloud-led digital transformation Managed Services Provider (MSP), has today announced that Chris Woodhouse has been appointed as Chairman of the Board effective immediately. He succeeds Sir Bill Thomas, who is stepping down as Chairman after seven years in the role but remains on the Board.
Woodhouse is a highly experienced and respected leader with a proven track record of driving value across different businesses in executive and non-executive roles. Between 2017 and 2023, Woodhouse was CEO of Evelyn Partners, a leading investment management and professional services group. He oversaw a trebling of funds under management to nearly £60 billion and led the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson to form Evelyn Partners. Prior to this, he was CEO of the RAC, the roadside assistance and insurance group, for five years, during which time the group more than doubled its profits. Earlier leadership experience includes C-Level and Chairman roles within Debenhams, Homebase, Halfords, and the Gondola Group. Woodhouse is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an Associate of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Node4 continues to execute a strategic transformation that sees it bring its recent series of acquisitions under the Node4 brand, creating an end-to-end portfolio of leading IT solutions and services, which are critical to the success of both private and public sector organisations across the UK. Woodhouse’s experience and expertise will be invaluable in supporting Node4 as it continues to execute this strategy.
“It is an honour to join Node4 at such an exciting time in its history,” said Chris Woodhouse. “Node4 has built a leading market position within a highly competitive sector and against a challenging backdrop, which is a testament to its strength and the quality of Andrew Gilbert’s leadership. At the same time, I believe the future opportunity for the business is material and I look forward to working with the Board and Andrew to ensure this is realised to the benefit of all stakeholders.”
“We are pleased to welcome Chris as our new Chairman,” commented Andrew Gilbert, Founder & Group CEO. “His appointment marks an exciting chapter for Node4 as we continue our journey of innovation and growth. With his wealth of experience and strategic leadership, Chris will play a pivotal role in guiding our board and supporting our vision to deliver unparalleled value to our customers. We look forward to leveraging his expertise as we chart the course for Node4’s continued success.
“I personally want to thank Sir Bill for his many years of service to Node4. His commitment, counsel, and contributions have been extremely valuable and we look forward to continuing working with him as a Director.”
Sir Bill led the Board as Node4 successfully completed the strategic acquisitions of Secura, Starcom, TNP, Risual, Tisski, and ThreeTwoFour. He has been instrumental in the building of a strong management team to support the CEO, including the recent launch of a leadership structure that saw Hannah Birch assume the role of Group Managing Director.
“After seven highly productive years as Chairman, and with Node4 in a strong position, I firmly believe now is the right time to step down as the business enters a new phase of growth,” said Sir Bill. “I’m pleased to remain on the Board as we continue supporting Andrew and the management team grow Node4 from strength to strength in the years ahead.”
Andrew Tisdale, Senior Managing Director at Providence Private Equity Partners and Node4 Board Member, commented:“The Board is delighted to welcome Chris to Node4 as the company continues to solidify its position as a leader in digital services. Chris brings invaluable experience and expertise gained through his successful leadership of some of the UK’s most iconic brands. We are confident he is the ideal candidate to chair the Board as Node4 continues to execute on its strategic ambitions.”
Michaël Vervisch, Managing Director at Providence Private Equity Partners and Node4 Board Member, commented: “On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our sincere thanks to Sir Bill for his commitment and significant contributions to Node4 over the last seven years. Under his stewardship, Node4 has grown substantially, cemented its strong reputation among stakeholders, and launched cutting-edge products to the market.”