Dignity’s first female CEO

FUNERAL firm Dignity has appointed its first female boss. Kate Davidson, the chief operating officer, takes over from Gary Channon as chief executive officer next month.

She has served on the board since the start of the year. Dignity’s shares have slumped after it was revealed that death numbers had tumbled by 19pc to 166,000 over the last three months.

It benefited from a surge in deaths during the pandemic, but is under pressure due to the vaccination programme and regulatory scrutiny over prices for customers.