Kate Donaldson - Owner/Company Secretary
What’s your background?
I thoroughly enjoyed a 15-year career at the criminal bar before throwing my all into AIM. I prosecuted and defended a very wide range of cases ultimately focusing on fraud and murder and throughout, I’m proud to say, I retained my Mancunian roots in a profession not best known for its common touch.
In 2004 when Alan decided to embark upon AIM I was there for him. For the first 15 months I “manned the office” single-handedly fielding telephone calls, advising on CVs and drafting contracts whilst poring over extensive volumes of documentation preparing for the last trial I conducted in my legal career. I then took a 6-month break from AIM which was spent fighting the case in court before hanging up my wig and gown for the very last time to work full time at AIM.
What does your day-to-day job involve?
Managing everything back stage that keeps the business running smoothly.
What are your interests outside of work?
A considerable amount of my leisure time is spent running or in running related pass times. I graduated from racewalking to running a couple of years ago – though Alan would suggest I’ve taken a step backwards having been pretty good at racewalking to become an average runner. A naturally fast walker racewalking unleashed in me what the Aussie’s call “mongrel spirit”. No sooner had I mastered the sashay than I began competing locally, nationally and on the world (masters) stage. In 2015 I was ranked 9th female in UK by British Athletics over 10km and 12th at 5km; 1st in my age category for both. By far my proudest achievement was winning a bronze medal for GB & NI at 10km in the 2015 World Masters Athletics Championships finishing in 55:47. My desire to constantly do better led to me incorporating running into my training. I soon fell in love with running in a way I never had with racewalking and changed lanes for good. I haven’t looked back. I’ve become a run leader – gaining such great pleasure and pride from watching my runners graduate from couch to 5k and then amaze themselves at how well they perform over even longer distances. My next goal is to qualify as a coach – that would already have happened but for COVID-19.
If a film were made about your life tomorrow who would you cast to play you as
a young adult? Emma Watson – slim and long-limbed, looks like a lamb but roars like a lion
your current age? Demi Moore – GI Jane – well all this training has to have some visible results
in old age? Maggie Smith – I can well imagine those strident tones voicing intolerance and home truths.
If you were represented by a cartoon character which would it be?
Olive Oyl – separated at birth
What makes you smile?
On a daily basis our dogs and most likely the youngest, Ruby, who is such a character.
Who is your all time sports hero?
Daley Thompson/Mo Farah
What makes you cringe?
I don’t think I even manage to hide the cringe when people try to be clever and use “big words” in the wrong context – I’m a self-confessed pedant which is ideal for the precision required in the legal world but is apparently “really irritating” in the real world!
What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
- Wise
- Kind
- Intolerant
What 3 words would others use to describe you?
- Exacting
- Astute
- Late
What super power would you like to have?
Invisibility
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Have no regrets.
Seeing as we’re recruiting food manufacturers – what’s your favourite food?
I used to be the champion of lasagne – the benchmark for assessing any eatery! However, I’m now pretty much keto – bring on the bacon! But still … a good lasagne can be dreamed about if not consumed!