Alison Mowbray
Senior Consultant
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Alison Mowbray draws on an elite performance heritage and many years in academia and teaching to design and deliver performance development programmes for clients across a range of industry sectors. Her approach is shaped by an ability to bring the theory of performance to life in a practical and fascinating manner. Using the power of story telling, Alison enables others to make sense of the business challenges they face. She has a particular interest in preparation for performance and how mental toughness in pressured environments can facilitate high performance.
Coaching for Performance
Alison has facilitated coaching performance workshops as part of wider employee engagement and development programmes in the financial and retail sectors. From developing the coaching skills of a senior leadership team at a large manufacturing company to working with leaders at a top directories firm, Alison works with individuals and teams to develop the skills required to facilitate increased accountability. She delivers practical coaching tools and techniques for improving performance and is particularly interested in enabling increased ownership to allow senior managers to transition from transactional leadership styles to more transformational approaches.
1:1 Coaching
Alison is an accredited performance coach, drawing on many years of being coached at the highest level in sport. Her coaching approach is friendly and relaxed with a questioning style but she is also able to draw on her own experiences to enable and inspire others. She works with individuals to develop career plans, generate self awareness, set goals and ultimately raise performance. She has coached at a range of levels including high potentials in the financial sector and middle managers in the professional services.
Leadership Development
Alison has designed and delivered leadership development programmes for clients in the financial, manufacturing, retail and professional service sectors. She has worked with high potential associates to understand leadership and raise awareness of coaching skills as a leadership tool. In partnership with HR teams, she delivers workshops designed to explore the benefits of improved communication and the need for clear vision, support and challenge from leaders. Central to Alison's approach is the exploration of the differences between leadership and management.
Team Development
Alison has worked with newly formed teams, under performing teams and teams working to sustain top performance. Her elite sporting heritage in a team environment is central to her style which involves exploring the composition and dynamics of a high performing team. Alison has worked across sectors and functions to develop the skills required to perform under pressure, give and receive feedback comfortably, define roles and build successful working relationships.
Exercise and Nutrition
Many of Lane4's approaches focus on the psychology of high performance. Alison's science and elite performer background enable her to combine this with knowledge and passion for the physiology behind high performance. She believes that exercise and optimum nutrition are vital to maximising performance in any area of life. Alison has worked with groups and individuals from a variety of organisations to help them make and sustain lifestyle changes that greatly increase energy levels and improve work/ life balance.
Work at Lane4
Alison Mowbray joined Lane4 as Consultant in 2006. She draws on her substantial experience and insight as an elite performer to design and deliver bespoke programmes for Lane4 clients.
Her areas of specialism include:
- Presentation and Communication Skills
- Maximising Performance Through Healthy Lifestyle
- Mental Toughness
- Leadership & Personal Performance
- High Performing Teams
- Elite Performer Insights
- Developing Organisational Resilience
Clients include:
1:1 Coaching
Accenture
Dresdner Kleinwort
Visa
Coaching For Performance
Sainsbury's
Nestle
Yell
Dresdner Kleinwort
Eversheds
Leadership & Team Development
JPMorgan
Dixons Store Group
NHS Logistics
Dresdner Kleinwort
Nestle
Yell
Carphone Warehouse
Background
Alison made the British Rowing Team in 1998 and two years later achieved last minute qualification for the Sydney Olympics where she finished 10th in the single sculls event. Before the Sydney Games was over, Alison decided to commit to rowing for four more years, with success at the Athens Olympics in mind. In 2004, Alison was selected into the Quad Scull and the team went on to take the silver medal in the Olympic Games that summer.
Since retiring from international sport, Alison is mostly likely to be found outdoors. She enjoys keeping active and pursuing a challenge, having completed the London Marathon and cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats in 2006.
Education has played a pivotal role in shaping Alison's career. As well as excelling in academia herself, Alison taught secondary school science part time for six years which involved a careful balance with her rowing ambitions. Alison is a part of the 'Sporting Champions' scheme that sends athletes into schools to act as positive role-models. Alison is also still actively involved in rowing through coaching children to commentating at the World Rowing Championships and acting as a London 2012 Ambassador.
Alison was a member of the British Rowing Team for seven years and competed in five World Championships and two Olympic Games. Alison never fulfilled her immense sporting potential at school and had not even stepped in a rowing boat until she was 18. Having gained a Ph.D. in Genetic Engineering from Cambridge University in 1997, she finally moved to London to attempt national selection.
