Joanna Davidson

Although RBS was familiar territory - Joanna's late father George Younger had been a successful chairman until 2001 - Davidson was always her own woman and any whiff of nepotism was quickly dispelled by her hard work, shrewdness and natural charm. Instead of simply dispensing cash to good causes, Davidson ensured the CSR kept sight of the long-term commercial benefits of its actions.

Joanna Rosalind Younger was the second child and only daughter (there were three brothers) of George and Diana Younger. She was later nicknamed "Jo-Jo" by her siblings.

Davidson was educated at Queen Anne's school, Caversham, and studied medieval history at St Andrews University, where her brother James was also a student.

Davidson inherited a love of music from both her parents and at university sang and toured Italy with the Renaissance Group. Encouraged by her father to go into business on graduating from St Andrews in 1980, she joined the paper merchant Wiggins Teape as a management trainee. Davidson helped promote a construction membrane in the marketing division and later acted as chief of staff to John Worlidge, the company's chairman.

Based in London, Davidson often stayed with her father, then Secretary of State for Scotland, at a rented flat in Pimlico. Father and daughter were close and enjoyed late-night chats about their respective days, with George recounting tales involving "Madam Tango", otherwise known as Mrs Thatcher. His daughter encountered Madam Tango during frequent stays at Bute House, the Scottish Secretary's official residence in Edinburgh, and remembered watching with astonishment as Ian Gow, Thatcher's loyal Parliamentary Private Secretary, wandered past Thatcher's room clad only in a towel and clutching a wash bag. The Prime Minister, she remembered, did not bat an eyelid.

In 1989 Davidson joined the Guildford-based Chitty Food Group, which saw her involved in expanding the company's food business and, as marketing director, increasing supply to supermarkets. In 1999 she became Chitty's business director, a position she used to reform strategy.

Davidson also worked for a while at United Auctions in Perth, Scotland's leading livestock auctioneers, an altogether different job which involved dealing with local abattoirs. In 2003, however, she accepted what was to be her final job, at RBS. Her father had died in January that year but the family name was incidental before her appointment, and even several years later many colleagues were unaware of the connection.

Her father's experience as chairman, however, meant Davidson was unfazed by the internal politics of the bank and her great enthusiasm ensured she quickly developed an invaluable network of friends and colleagues which owed as much to her human qualities as business acumen. The work of CSR was always, therefore, conducted in an enjoyable manner by a committed team.

Davidson was also in charge of editing and publishing the bank's annual report and numerous other internal publications. Projects such as the Eco-Schools programme in Edinburgh and Recycle Scotland, in which RBS donated old office furniture to charities and schools, ably demonstrated her commitment to presenting RBS activities in a positive light.

She also deployed her skills and probing mind as a non-executive director of the Glasgow-based Shires Investment Trust and a governor of Glenalmond College. Outside work she enjoyed sailing with family and friends on Loch Melfort in Argyllshire (one of the family boats, a Mirror, was named after her). In 2001 she acted as principal lady-in-waiting when her father was Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Joanna Davidson died peacefully at home after facing a year-long cancer battle with great courage.

She is survived by her second husband, John, children Lucy, Hamish and Molly, and her mother, Diana. By DAVID TORRANCE