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Alison Kervin OBE is a highly respected journalist and author, best known for her work on confidence, resilience and leadership under pressure. With nearly 40 years at the heart of elite sport and national media, Alison’s career is defined by breaking barriers, challenging outdated systems and proving what is possible when self-belief meets determination. Her experience spans frontline journalism, senior editorial leadership and advocacy for women in sport, giving her a rare authority on performance in demanding environments.
Alison made history as the first female Sports Editor of a major UK national newspaper, leading the Mail on Sunday sports department for eight years. In this role, she managed high-profile teams, navigated intense scrutiny and shaped coverage across global sporting events. Earlier in her career, Alison held senior roles including Chief Sports Feature Writer at The Times and Chief Sports Interviewer at The Daily Telegraph, where she conducted over 250 in-depth interviews with world-class athletes, entertainers and leaders. She also served as Editor of Rugby World magazine and worked within the Rugby Football Union, building a deep understanding of elite performance from the inside out.
A defining achievement of Alison’s career was her leadership of a long-running national concussion campaign, which challenged sporting authorities to take head injuries seriously. This work directly contributed to policy change and improved athlete welfare, and led to Alison being awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for services to sports journalism. Alongside this, she has been a vocal campaigner for women’s rights in sport, supporting the legalisation of women’s boxing and helping open the doors for women to play rugby at Twickenham. Alison was also the first woman to referee a rugby match at Twickenham, a moment that symbolised wider cultural change.
As a keynote speaker, Alison draws on her frontline experience of pressure, leadership and resilience. She speaks powerfully about confidence built through adversity, drawing on insights gathered from decades of interviews with Olympic champions, World Cup winners and global icons. At the end of each interview, Alison asked one simple question, why do you think you succeeded? The answers now form the backbone of her talks, showing audiences that success is learned through habits, mindset and perseverance. Alison speaks to organisations seeking practical inspiration, female role models and real-world lessons on performing at the top when the odds are stacked against you.
Alison Kervin is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“She has done as much over the years for battling females as any woman since Boadicea.”
“Sports and journalism are very difficult areas for women to achieve success in — and to champion both is amazing. Bravo.”
“Alison’s work on behalf of women in sport has helped break the gender barrier for women on the field of play and in administration.”
“I’ve known Alison for over 20 years. She was one of the first women to write about rugby, which at the time was truly groundbreaking. I have always held her in the highest regard because she has never shied away from controversy or been afraid to speak her mind and became a role model for women working in a historically male-dominated environment.”
“Alison is a hugely impressive figure in the sports world with a sporting pedigree few sports editors can rival. Of course, it really doesn’t matter whether The Mail on Sunday’s sports editor is a man or a woman – but I can think of no better candidate to break the mould than Alison.”
“Alison is a trailblazer in the sports industry. Not only is she a fantastic journalist and writer, she has pushed the boundaries in becoming one of very few female sports editors in the world.”
“I’m thrilled Alison’s achievement in being the first female sports editor of a national newspaper has been recognised and hope it encourages many more women into sports journalism.”
“Alison knows the job inside out and back-to-front and it’s a pleasure to work for her.”
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