About – Alison Rodwell CGMA Director
Alison’s career spans the private, public, and charitable sectors, uniting deep experience in finance, governance, and leadership with a lifelong commitment to positive impact. With a background that bridges billion-dollar energy projects, start-up social enterprise, and public service, Alison brings a rare blend of commercial acumen and social purpose to everything she does.
After studying Physics at the University of Cambridge, Alison began her career at Shell, where she qualified as a management accountant before leading finance teams on major international energy projects. She went on to specialise in corporate governance, ensuring that organisations are well led, well managed, and accountable.
An early advocate for sustainability, Alison championed the triple bottom line – social, environmental, and financial value – long before it became mainstream. This vision led her to found CottonConnect, an award-winning social enterprise that now works with more than half a million farmers worldwide, driving innovation and sustainability across the cotton supply chain.
In 2014, Alison founded Impact the Future, to equip business leaders and social entrepreneurs to apply their expertise for public good and maximise their impact.
Over the last five years, Alison has held a portfolio of non-executive and audit committee chair roles across the public sector, bringing independent challenge, strong governance, and a focus on outcomes to vital public services. Her roles have included positions at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Sellafield Ltd in the nuclear sector, and the Royal Stoke University Hospital NHS Trust. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member at Alliance Manchester Business School.
A member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and a regular conference speaker, Alison is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders who can bridge sectors, challenge convention, and help build a state that works better for everyone.
