Lee will work closely with investment firm Arcus Infrastructure, which manages funds holding a majority shareholding in Workdry, to deliver on its strategy to establish the group as the number one provider of pump and wastewater treatment rental solutions in the UK and Europe.
His appointment follows Workdry’s recent acquisition of Vanderkamp, which brought the Dutch pump rental solutions specialist into the group alongside its established Selwood and Siltbuster businesses.
Lee joins Workdry with a strong track record in capital equipment rental and service businesses. He began his industry career with US-based industrial chemical service provider NCH Group before moving to industrial parts cleaning and washer hire services specialist Safetykleen, where he spent 11 years in senior leadership roles. Following the sale of Safetykleen to private equity firm Apax Partners in 2017, he served as group managing director at workplace services company Phs Group. He subsequently founded chemical surface treatment business Krystal Kleen Heritage UK, which was acquired in 2020, and served as president of EMEA region at Tosca, a reusable packaging and performance pooling solutions company.
“I am excited to be joining Workdry International at a time of huge momentum, inheriting a business that is in great shape and embarking on a new phase of domestic and international growth,” said Lee. “I am looking forward to working with a dedicated team of colleagues to help deliver the vision and strategy for the coming years as Workdry continues to grow organically and through acquisition to expand on its leading position in asset rental solutions for water and wastewater handling and treatment in the UK and Europe.”
He takes the reins from outgoing CEO Richard Brown, who is retiring after almost 30 years in various roles at Selwood and Workdry.
Brown said: “Dan has a very strong track record in building a positive and inclusive work environment. He is full of energy, passion and vision, and is ready to lead the business to new heights, focused on delivering growth while supporting our fantastic teams to deliver outstanding service and solutions to our customers. I am in no doubt that the best days for our business lie ahead under his leadership.”
Jordan Cott, partner at Arcus, said: “We at Arcus look forward to working with Dan and the team to build on Workdry’s enviable track record and growth ambitions by investing in innovation and new markets – a journey that has already begun with the recent acquisition of Vanderkamp and which we are excited to continue in the months and years to come.”