Alastair Levy

Alastair Levy, founder of Alastair Levy Advisory, helps family business leaders and their organisations and boards address the opportunities and risks created by an era of increasing volatility. Alastair focuses on helping our clients take an integrated approach to impact, innovation and risk, strengthen their risk governance, processes, capabilities and culture, and identify and address their most pressing risks.

His work draws on his 35-year career across the private, public and social sectors — including his work at McKinsey & Company, where he worked for 22 years, with a decade as Global Director of Risk, and in government, as a UK civil servant and chief of staff to a Cabinet minister. As McKinsey’s Global Director of Risk, he counselled senior leaders and partners of the firm globally on how to navigate complex issues in all sectors and over 120 countries. He was a member of the firm’s senior decision-making committee for its most complex client-service risks. Alongside this, he advised the firm’s board on the firm’s overall risk priorities, policies and capabilities, and created and led the firm’s global risk function.

His research, publications, presentations and speaking engagements cover topics including leading in an era of volatility, the risk imperative facing family businesses and how global companies can manage geopolitical risk.

Alastair has made longstanding nonprofit contributions in social inclusion, education and the arts. He is a trustee, board member and member of the Finance and Risk Committee of London’s Kiln Theatre and a member (elect) of the Remuneration Committee of St John’s College, Oxford. He studied philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford, followed by postgraduate study in orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music. He qualified as a business coach with High Distinction through the internationally renowned Meyler Campbell Mastered programme.