Director of operations appointed
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans have appointed Gillian McDonald as their new director of operations.
The newly created role will involve managing a range of services including education, care, independent living, community services, information andsSupport, veterans activity hubs, and the Scottish Braille Press.
McDonald previously worked for Sight Scotland Veterans initially as the Hawkhead Centre manager and then as head of wellbeing.
She comes from a social care background and brings a combination of strong leadership skills, operational management, and sector knowledge to the new role. She has also managed a variety of services, including older people, learning disabilities, dementia and mental health.
She said: “I am delighted to be the new director of operations responsible for both charities. It is a great opportunity to enhance teamwork and collaboration to ensure we can help more people with sight loss where and when they need us.
"I am aware of the wide variety of supports we already offer to those with vision loss across both charities and am excited to look to how we can build upon these in the future. The impact of vision loss is huge, and providing the right support at the right time is vital.”
“I have a passion for supporting and empowering people to achieve their full potential and feel very fortunate to work alongside such experienced and committed teams as those that work within Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans.
"My background in social care offers me an understanding of the challenges people accessing our services, as well as my colleagues, may face. I look forward to working closely with them all to ensure we offer high quality services and make vision loss the priority it needs to be in Scotland.”
Craig Spalding, chief executive, Sight Scotland, and Sight Scotland Veterans, said: "This is a key appointment for both charities and will lead to greater synergy as we look to maximise our impact in supporting people living with sight loss across Scotland. Gillian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and will work closely with myself and the rest of the Executive team to further develop our strategy and establish new services.”
