Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, a provider of mobile and modular operating theatres, wards, endoscopy suites and clinics, has appointed Chris Blackwell-Frost as its new chief executive, succeeding David Cole, who will step down from the role at the end of the year, having worked for 40 years in the health and social care sector.

Blackwell-Frost is a pharmacist by training, with more than 25 years’ experience in strategy and business development, commercial, sales, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and proposition development across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Blackwell-Frost joined Nuffield Health in 2016, initially as chief customer officer with responsibility for marketing, communications and brand alongside sales, commercial and proposition development. Since 2020, he has been chief strategy officer at Nuffield with accountability for strategy, brand and corporate development, in addition to property and the transformation office. He previously worked at Lloyds Pharmacy and AAH Pharmaceuticals.

Cole said: “Vanguard has grown substantially over the last few years and is currently on course for a fourth record year in a row. Under Chris’s leadership, the business will continue to further internationalise and diversify. Chris brings with him the energy, drive and experience to lead the organisation through that next phase of growth and change. I step away after nearly six years leading Vanguard knowing that it has the right person at the helm.”

Blackwell-Frost added: “I am delighted to join Vanguard and am looking forward to working alongside the team as we continue to help our colleagues throughout the world increase access to healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes.

“Vanguard has a justified reputation, both in the UK and overseas, for its ability to create and rapidly deliver solutions which enable hospitals and health systems to provide increased capacity and essential surgical and diagnostic procedures in high-quality clinical environments.”