Liz Showell has been named as the successor to Jo Swinhoe as director of fundraising at the Alzheimer’s Society.

Showell (pictured), who will take up the post in August, is currently director of fundraising at the Children’s Society. She will lead an organisation which has grown dramatically over the past five years, a growth many attribute to the leadership of Swinhoe who has now departed for the private sector. In the year ending 31 March 2010 the Alzheimer’s Society drew in an income of £58.9m, an increase of more than £20m on 2006 income levels (£36.1m).

The new director of fundraising comes with a history of working at some of the UK’s top fundraising organisations, including the British Red Cross and NSPCC.

Showell said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Alzheimer's Society at this exciting time in its history and look forward to leading a team that has already achieved so much.

“In ten years a million people will be living with dementia. Fundraising has such a vital role to play in ensuring that we support those people to live well and also fund research to find a cure.”

Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society chief executive, said he was confident that Showell would keep the society on its upward trajectory. “Our fundraising and marketing efforts have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and we are very confident Liz will build upon this great success and take it to the next level,” he said.