Growing Verdant Leisure appoints new CFO

Lancaster-based holiday park operator Verdant Leisure has appointed Mike Wilmot as chief financial officer.

Mike is a PwC-trained chartered accountant and holds a wealth of experience in the holiday park sector. He previously worked as finance director for Parkdean and then Parkdean Resorts for 16 years where he managed acquisitions, refinances, the merger with Park Resorts and the PE sale process.

In 2018 Mike then joined NCG, a national group of seven further education colleges, as CFO. He was responsible for transforming the group’s financial health in just three and a half years.

He joins Verdant following news that the company has added multiple new sites to its portfolio in recent months, including Golden Coast Holiday Village and Cleavewood Park in North Devon, and Ballintuim Caravan Park in Perthshire. Verdant is also investing £10m in developing a new holiday park at River Tay, also in Perthshire.

Mike said: "I’m really thrilled to come back home to the holiday park sector and to join such an ambitious and acquisitive business as Verdant Leisure is real privilege."

Verdant Leisure now operates 14 parks across Scotland, North East England and North Devon and embarked upon a major recruitment drive earlier in the year.