Prior to joining Goldwagen, George was group CIO at SkyNet Worldwide Express group CIO.
Goldwagen, a globally recognised automotive parts distributor and franchise group established in 1992, has appointed George McDonald as its new chief information officer.
George brings more than 25 years of experience in IT, ICT, and security to the role. A seasoned CIO, he has successfully led complex projects, driven digital transformation, and ensured the stability and performance of IT operations across diverse industries.
Before joining Goldwagen, George served as group CIO at SkyNet Worldwide Express, where he was responsible for strategic IT operational planning, business development and fiscal management. He also played a key role in transforming the IT function, introducing agile practices and new ways of working to improve efficiency and innovation.
Earlier in his career, George held the role of IT manager at Tracker Connect before taking on the CIO position at the Fidelity Group. As CIO at Alviva, he spearheaded the development and implementation of a comprehensive risk, fraud, and compliance framework to ensure robust governance across the organisation.
Interestingly, George’s professional journey began in law enforcement, where he served as a police reservist before transitioning into the IT field.
While some IT leaders find inspiration in books, George prefers to find it online, and he’s recently become quite fond of one platform in particular. “I look for inspiration and ideas everywhere; e-books, LinkedIn, and newsletters, but you won’t believe what you can learn from YouTube,” he says.
But away from the computer screen, both at work and at home. George spends his downtime watching live rugby games and mountain biking. “I’m a big Blue Bulls supporter,” he says. “But I’m also a big hunter, and I go at least twice a year. I don’t hunt what I don’t eat, and I actually prepare my own meat from where the animal went down, all the way to the dinner table.”
George holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pretoria and diploma in comprehensive programming from CTI Education Group.
