Spire Healthcare has appointed Peter Bamford as deputy chairman and senior independent director.

He replaces John Gildersleeve who stood down from the board at the company annual general meeting on 26 May, having previously indicated he would not seek re-election. 

Bamford is currently chairman of fashion retailer SuperGroup, and was previously chairman of Six Degrees Holdings from 2011 to 2015, and a non-executive director of Rentokil Initial from 2006-2016. Prior to this he held senior positions at Vodafone and WH Smith.

At Spire, Bamford will also serve as chair of the nomination committee and member of the remuneration committee.

The company’s executive chairman Garry Watts said: "We are delighted that Peter has agreed to join Spire's board, he will bring considerable plc board and leadership experience. 

“The appointment maintains a strong independent presence on our board and Peter will focus on ensuring that there is an appropriate scrutiny of decision-making whilst the roles of chairman and chief executive officer remain combined.”