Laura McAllister

Laura McAllister joined the Wales Governance Centre at the University of Cardiff from October 2016 from the University of Liverpool’s School of Management. She is an expert on devolution. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics (BSc. Econ in Government, Upper Second Class Honours) and Cardiff University (PhD in politics). Laura was a member of the Richard Commission on the Powers and Electoral Arrangements for National Assembly for Wales (2002-04), and provided research advice to the Independent Panel on AMs’ Pay and Support in 2008-09. Laura chaired the Welsh Government’s Expert group on Diversity in Local Government (2013-14) and was co-chair of the Chief Scientific Officer’s inquiry into Women in STEM subjects (2014-16). Until 2015, she was a member of the National Assembly Remuneration Board examining AMs’ pay and allowances. She is an Honorary Visiting Professor at Cardiff University, University of South Wales, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia and the China National School of Administration, Beijing.

A former Wales football international and national team captain with 24 caps, Laura was Chair of Sport Wales (formerly the Sports Council for Wales) between 2010-16. Until April, she was Board Member of UK Sport, the Government’s agency for Olympic and Paralympic sport, and is currently a Director of the Football Association of Wales Trust. She is a trustee of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, as well as a member of the Wales Advisory Committee of the British Council, and was formerly a Trustee of Stonewall UK. Laura holds honorary degrees from the Universities of Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan and South Wales (and Swansea University from next week!).

She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last month and is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.