JOHN Menzies, which operates without a chief executive, has appointed Paula Bell to the key role of finance director to succeed Paul Dollman.

Mrs Bell joins an elite band, as The Herald reported six months ago that only seven of Scotland's top 30 listed companies had a female executive. She will leave Ricardo, the global consultancy where she has been finance director since 2007. Ian Napier, John Menzies chairman, said: "She will be a real asset to the group."