Zenith, the UK’s leading independent leasing, vehicle outsourcing and fleet management provider, has appointed Stuart Price as chief people officer to support its growth plans and long-term people strategy. Stuart will lead the HR department and be responsible for developing their people-focused culture, continuing to keep employees at the heart of their strategy.

Stuart joins Zenith from Virgin Care, where he was chief people officer before transitioning to chief operating officer. He has also held senior people roles at Costcutter, Morrisons and Asda.

Welcoming Stuart to the business, Tim Buchan, chief executive of Zenith, said: “Stuart brings a wealth of experience from the fast-paced grocery retail and healthcare sectors. His passion for creating a culture that enables people to excel is an excellent fit for Zenith as we move into the next stage of our strategic development.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Marisa Waddington, who has retired from the role of HR director after 11 years of working with Zenith. Marisa helped take this business from strength to strength, and her achievements won national recognition by making Zenith a Top 100 Company to work for.”

Stuart Price commented “I’m really excited to join a successful organisation with a passion for employee engagement, training and development. I’m looking forward to building on the strong culture that exists today and working with the teams to build the future people strategy that supports our growth and change agenda, with a relentless focus on putting our colleagues and customers at the heart of our business.”