Clientele

Here are some of the fabulous teams and planning projects I have supported recently. Click through the links to learn more about the great work these organizations have underway.

Local and Global Engagement Unit, Oxford University, UK

In 2024, I helped the Local and Global Engagement team at the University of Oxford refine their three-year plan to invite local communities and young people to share in the facilities and opportunities of this world-renown university.

Bringing with her a wealth of expertise in public policy, Alison patiently listened and took the time to understand the landscape and challenges within our organisation. With Alison’s guidance, we were able to refine and focus our mission. Her feedback and simple, but helpful, tools for strategy development gave us the clarity we needed to develop an actionable plan for the future.

Dr Alex Betts, Local and Global Engagement Officer, University of Oxford, UK

Trust for Sustainable Living, UK

I am the Strategy Advisor for the Trust for Sustainable Living, a charity leading on sustainability education and home to The Living Rainforest. Over the course of 2024, am helping the executive team and board better align their goals and strategies to their aspirations to engage young people in sustainability.

Dr Van Rooy is helping us distinguish the wood from the trees. Van Rooy Strategies provides a useful framework to focus on the top priorities for our attention.

Karl Hansen, Executive Director, Trust for Sustainable Living and the Living Rainforest, UK

Rhodes Trust Advisory Group, UK

Over 2022-23, I helped facilitate the deliberations of a key Advisory Group to the Rhodes Trust on Legacy, Equity, and Diversity; and in 2024, worked with the Rhodes Trust Board to begin to review the recommendations and take action on next steps.

Alison recently guided us through an important decision-making process and helped us tackle some of the toughest issues we were facing in our broader community engagement. She executed this process with meticulous preparation and extreme thoughtfulness while gaining the trust of all of the key stakeholders. Alison contributes not only strategic thinking and unparalleled facilitation and advising skills to the organizations she helps but also brings unique energy and wisdom to the table.

Rodolfo Lara Torres, Chief Engagement and Development Officer, The Rhodes Trust, UK

Theatre One, Canada

In 2022, I worked with the Board of this inspiring regional professional theatre in Nanaimo, BC, to draft a new strategy in the wake of the pandemic that looked at programming, grant strategies, and public engagement.

Alison has a remarkable ability to bring clarity to complex projects, ensuring that every step is meticulously planned and executed. Under her insightful direction we were able to streamline our processes and align our goals, and ultimately achieve a clear, actionable roadmap that has significantly enhanced our ability to navigate complex challenges and seize new opportunities.

Dr Ross MacKay, Board Vice-President, TheatreOne

Vancouver Island University, Canada

Over 2019-23, I led the two-year process to create the new Strategic Plan: People, Place, Potential for Vancouver Island University. See this inspiring video about how we did that work, and have a listen to this podcast with the great planning firm SME Strategy to see what that was like to accomplish during the COVID lockdown.

I was delighted also to help the senior leadership team and advisory groups craft their first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, and to refresh the institution-wide human resources strategy, The People Plan 2024-2029.

Alison has an amazing ability to engage community in dialogue and to bring groups together.

Dr Deborah Saucier, President and Vice-Chancellor, Vancouver Island University

Alison brings a powerful combination of experience, mindset, and collaboration to strategic development work, along with a rich toolset and diverse skills. I’ve worked with her on multiple initiatives, at different levels, and each time the result was outstanding strategic objects for guiding the organization.

Bryan Webber, Organizational Development Advisor, Human Resources, Vancouver Island University

Global Affairs Canada, Canada

At Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency, and other government departments, I led external public engagement efforts and internal policy development initiatives.

I am particularly proud to have co-founded the Asia-Pacific Policy Lab at Global Affairs. Read more about that great initiative and how it helped us generate new ways of thinking

Alison has a brilliant analytical mind and common sense approach to organizing. She can make things happen. Her twin strengths are analysis and action. She has tremendous people skills and ability to provide inclusive solutions that work for all.

Dr Donald Bobiash, Executive Director for Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden at the Asian Development Bank

Alejandro Reyes, Former Senior Policy Analyst, Global Affairs Canada, and current Scholar in Residence, Asia Society Hong Kong Center

Alison is a born problem solver. She instinctively frames challenges and breaks them down in a way that makes tackling them much less daunting. It was not a matter of simplifying the issues ... it was about understanding what the essential questions were and the steps required to shape scenarios and options for action.