FIFE: James Donaldson & Sons has announced that as of 1 April 2011, Scott Cairns will be taking over as managing director.
Mr Cairns has worked for Donaldson’s for 15 years, during which time he has shown exemplary leadership skills and has been instrumental in developing both James Donaldson Timber and more recently MGM Timber (Scotland) to be the market leaders they are today.
Neil Donaldson has been managing director of the company for the last 25 years, and will now assume the role of executive chairman. Mr Donaldson will be mentoring Mr Cairns to help him deliver business growth without compromising the ethos or culture of Donaldson’s; however Mr Cairns will be responsible for the trading performance of all companies within the Group.
Mr Donaldson explains: “I often wonder how Donaldson’s has survived 150 years and so many other similar businesses fell by the wayside. Good people are of course a necessity, as well as being able to make the most out of whatever opportunities are presented to us. However, I believe the other key ingredient is the ability to plan for succession whenever that time is right. I believe that time is now.
“Over the last 25 years we have come a long way, growing the business from being a small Scottish company to now being a national player with turnover of £100M and 600 employees. I am keen for this growth to continue and to that end I believe that a new Managing Director is required.
“Scott is keen and excited about the opportunity this offers him and also the challenges that he will no doubt have to face up to. This is an exciting time for the Group and we must embrace this transition with open arms. I would like to wish Scott well in this new position and I look forward to working more closely with him in the future.”
