Bridges Ventures-owned The Vet has hired a new chief executive and chair to take the business through its next phase of growth, HealthInvestor can reveal.

Former customer strategy and foresight director at Tesco Jessica Frame has been appointed chief executive at the low-cost veterinary care chain. Frame joins from NutriCentre, a specialist health food retailer, where she was managing director.

Meanwhile, Sally Bailey, who was part-owner and chief executive of White Stuff between 2004 and 2013, has taken up the post of chair at The Vet. While at White Stuff, Bailey transformed the brand from an outdoors retailer with a turnover of £13 million to a lifestyle retailer with a turnover of £113 million. Bailey also is the chair of communications agency Kin & Co and ethical clothing brand Braintree Clothing.

Bridge Ventures partner Garret Turley (pictured) said: “We’re delighted to bring Jessica and Sally on board; we think it’s testament to The Vet’s huge potential that we’ve been able to attract such high-calibre people. We launched the Vet because we saw a gap in the market for better, cheaper and more flexible veterinary services right across the UK – and the success of the six sites we’ve opened to date has provided ample evidence of this. We’re confident that under Jessica’s leadership, and with Sally’s support, we can continue and even accelerate this growth to build a national consumer champion.”

Launched in 2013 by Bridges Ventures to provide affordable animal care in low-income regions, The Vet operates clinics in Bristol, Liverpool, Morden, Nottingham, Southampton and Waltham Forest. 

To here more about The Vet, subscribe to HI-Pod, to hear HealthInvestor's podcast interview with Garret Turley. The podcast will be released later this week.