Hailing from her previous role as the UK & ROI CFO at global veterinary care company IVC Evidensia, Ms Donaldson’s key responsibilities included managing the finance operations of the billion-pound enterprise and spearheading transformation and performance enhancement initiatives.

She was promoted to the post at IVC Evidensia after working as CFO for its major subsidiary, Vets Now. Prior to this she spent eight years in senior finance and strategy roles at Diageo, latterly as finance director, international supply, where she was responsible for managing a large global finance community and performance of a multi-billion pound cost base.

A chartered accountant, Ms Donaldson started her career at KPMG LLP on their graduate training programme. She graduated from Stirling University with a first-class degree in accounting and economics, and in 2020 she completed a post-graduate course in Leadership, Strategy and Innovation with Napier University.

Notably, her appointment marks the first time a female member of the Donaldson family has taken on an executive role in the 163-year history of the company, which was established in Scotland. She succeeds Arlene Cairns who became CFO in 2020.

Andrew Donaldson, CEO of Donaldson Group, said: “The board and I are thrilled to have Alyson joining us as Group CFO. She has an impressive track record of demonstrative success, leading finance functions and driving strategic transformational change and improvements in industry-leading organisations.

“She will be a fantastic addition to our senior leadership team and we’re all very much looking forward to working with her. This is also a very proud milestone for us as a family business, as we welcome another Donaldson into the Group.”

Ms Donaldson added: “As a family business, this is so much more than a career move for me; it’s something I feel incredibly passionate about.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Group Executive and finance team, supporting the business as it continues to pioneer in its market, and I’m excited to be contributing to the success of the business for now and for generations to come.”