Dr Alison Hawks is one of the leading experts advancing public sector innovation. A researcher and academic-turned-entrepreneur, she is the co-founder and CEO of BMNT Ltd, the innovation company that is changing how public sector innovation happens; and Co-Founder and Chair of the Common Mission Project UK, BMNT’s charitable partner that leads in the delivery of mission-driven entrepreneurial education in the UK. She was named the Woman of the Year for Innovation and Creativity at the Women in Defence Awards in 2022.

Dr Hawks was previously the Director of Research at the Section 809 Panel, a US Congressionally mandated panel tasked with overhauling defence acquisition.  She was also a Lecturer at King’s College London, Department of Defence Studies and an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, publishing her research in peer reviewed journals and edited volumes.  She was awarded her PhD from King’s College London, Department of War Studies, and holds an MA in Strategic Studies and a BA in Political Science.