NatWest’s Alison Rose wins top management award from CMI

• Gold Medal Award recognises Alison’s inspirational outstanding management and leadership achievements throughout her career
• CMI gives Pinky Lilani coveted Lifetime Achievement Award

12th November 2021: Alison Rose, Chief Executive of NatWest Group plc, has been awarded the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Gold Medal in recognition of her outstanding leadership and management at NatWest and over the course of her career.

Alison was presented with the award at the CMI’s President’s Dinner, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Thursday 11th November, in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex.

Alison is Chief Executive of NatWest Group plc and has worked at the bank for more than 27 years. She joined as a graduate and was most recently Deputy CEO of NatWest Holdings and CEO of RBS’s Commercial & Private Banking business.

Alison sits on the Board of Directors for the Institute of International Finance and is a member of the International Business Council for the World Economic Forum. She is also a Trustee of Business in the Community (BITC) and Chairs the Scottish BITC Advisory Board. Alison is a Non-Executive Director of Great Portland Estates plc and sits on the board of the Coutts Charitable Foundation.

CMI’s Gold Medal Award has been running for nearly 40 years and recognises the greatest accomplishments in management and leadership, with last year’s award going to leading business figure David Roberts, Chair of Nationwide, before which Dame Vivian Hunt, Managing Partner of McKinsey and Company won the award in 2019.

The annual President’s Dinner, at which the Gold Medal Award is officially presented, celebrates the positive social impact that management and leadership excellence makes.

Alison Rose commented:

“I am delighted to receive this award, and I thank the CMI for giving it to me. It reinforces my belief that good leadership is about respecting individuality, recognising potential, and sharing a purpose. So many of my colleagues who have taken these principles to heart, and they are creating a strong, sustainable business at this crucial time.”

Lord Mark Price, President of the CMI said:

“There are few more deserving recipients of this year’s Gold Award than Alison.  Her drive and passion for best in class management and leadership are inspirational. She is an outstanding role to the managers in her team, and managers in all walks of life across the country. It is our honour to recognise her achievements with this award.

The CMI also gave its Lifetime Achievement Award to Pinky Lilani, the  internationally acclaimed champion for women. She is the founder and chair of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and  the Women of the Future Programme.

Over the last 25 years, Pinky has moved the dial on gender equality and has also progressed on the Diversity & Inclusion agenda. She has focused on leadership  in top firms in the UK with the inaugural, 50 Leading Lights List, changing the conversation on leadership and highlighting the value of kindness in business. Pinky has won several awards for her work and was listed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK.

Pinky commented:

"I am delighted to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from CMI and honoured  that the Institute has recognised my work.  Whilst I have seen much progress over the last 25 years in the advancement of women in the workplace, much remains to be done.  I passionately believe that Kindness and collaboration are now essential ingredients for business success”

Other Awards were made to:

• Chartered Manager of the Year: Simon Cyhanko, Head of Wastewater Networks, Northumbrian Water Group.
• Volunteer of the Year: Katie Kelly, events lead and CMI Women Hub Lead, CMI London Board
• Management Book of the Year: The Future Leader, Jacob Morgan
• Earlier in the day at CMI’s Annual Partner Conference, the following awards were also given out:
• Student of the Year: Colin Stephenson, pharmacy business manager at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Apprentice of the Year: Deepak Ravindran, Medical Consultant, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Learning Provider of the Year: Exeter College
• Outstanding Innovation and Delivery of the Year: Accipio
• HE Partner of the Year: University of Huddersfield