Alison Gill OLY

Alison Gill is the CEO and a founding director of Bvalco, a consultancy specialising in Board effectiveness. Bvalco’s approach is distinct for its people-centred, behaviour-focused approach, which blends psychological insight, commercial reality and governance to help Boards deliver value to the organisations that they oversee. Described by her clients as personable, insightful and authoritative, Alison is known for her ability to listen deeply and find creative solutions to improve Board effectiveness. She has supported numerous Boards and Board Directors from public and private sectors, family owned and sports and charitable organisations, both in the UK and internationally, by delivering Board Effectiveness Reviews, Board development programmes and one-to-one coaching. 

Her persistent curiosity to improve Board effectiveness and Board Director performance has significantly influenced corporate governance. This was evident in her role as a special advisor on culture and behaviour to Sir David Walker for his Review of Banks and Other Financial Institutions, which led directly to the recommendation in the UK Corporate Governance Code for Boards to conduct externally facilitated Board Reviews every three years. Furthermore, she co-founded and designed the FT's award-winning Non-Executive Director Diploma, where she continues to be a lead tutor and Advisory Board Member. The Diploma has 2000 plus graduates from across the world. 

Academically, Alison holds an MA in Experimental Psychology and Neurophysiology from Oxford University and a master’s in business research from Henley Business School. She is also a distinguished author and thought leader, contributing to significant books and reports such as Effective Directors – The Right Questions to Ask (2022); Kindness in Leadership (2018); and The Walker Report Annex on Board Behaviour in Banks and Other Financial Service Institutions (2011). 

Bringing a unique high-performance perspective to her work, Alison is a former triple Olympian with the British Rowing team and remains involved in and passionate about elite sport by acting as an athlete mentor and competing herself in a range of sports, most frequently of the equestrian kind.