PRESS RELEASES

Wilton & Bain appoints Donna Kennedy as Fractional Chief People Officer

 London, UK | 26 February 2026 – Wilton & Bain, the global executive search and interim  leadership firm, today announces the appointment of Donna Kennedy as Fractional Chief People  Officer. Donna will be based at the firm’s London headquarters. 

Donna is a highly experienced senior HR and talent development leader, bringing 17 years of  board level experience partnering with executive teams through periods of growth,  transformation and acquisition. Her expertise spans people strategy, performance  transformation, post-merger integration and leadership development across professional  services, recruitment, technology and regulated sectors. 

She is the founder of Donna Kennedy HR and previously chaired the HR and Talent Development  Forum for APSCo, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies. Donna holds a Master of  Arts in Human Resource Management and the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma. She is also EMCC  accredited at Senior Practitioner level and holds Executive and Systemic Team Coaching  credentials from Henley Business School. 

David Heron, Group Chief Executive Officer at Wilton & Bain, commented: 

“Donna’s appointment as Fractional CPO represents a significant investment in our firm and, most  importantly, in our people. Our ambition is to be the destination of choice for the market’s leading  Executive Search and Interim Management talent. To achieve this, we must align our people  strategy with our growth objectives and ensure clarity around development, performance and  reward. 

Donna understands our sector and, crucially, our culture and what drives our success. I am very  much looking forward to working with her as we take Wilton & Bain into its next phase of  growth.” 

Donna Kennedy added: 

“Wilton & Bain has built an outstanding reputation in the executive search and interim leadership  market. Joining as Fractional CPO at this stage of the firm’s growth is both exciting and  meaningful. This is exactly the type of strategic partnership I established Donna Kennedy HR to  support, working alongside ambitious leadership teams to strengthen the people infrastructure  that underpins sustainable growth. 

I am passionate about creating environments where talented people understand what excellence  looks like, see a clear pathway for development and feel genuinely invested in building long term  success. I look forward to partnering with David and the team to deliver on that ambition.” 

 

About Wilton & Bain 

Wilton & Bain is a global executive search and interim leadership firm delivering Board, C-Suite  and functional appointments across sectors where leadership defines competitive advantage. 

We work within Professional & Business Services, Technology, Media & Telecoms, Financial  Services, Energy, Infrastructure & Industrials, and Retail & Consumer. 

We combine the global reach and rigour of a larger firm with the precision, partnership, and care  of a boutique. Our model blends human insight with structured delivery, enabling  clients to appoint transformative leaders who drive growth, change, and long-term value. 

Learn more at wilton-bain.com