ALISON THORPE
Beckenham,LONDON
Summary
Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in knowledge management software, cloud storage, and IT infrastructure. Demonstrates proficiency in AI and project management, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and seamless content and intranet management. Skilled in data governance, information architecture design, taxonomy and metadata development, training delivery, engagement strategies, communication skills, and collaboration facilitation.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
17
17
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Senior Knowledge Manager
Macfarlanes LLP
London
2020.11 - 2025.09
- Established and executed knowledge management strategy, reporting to Director of Knowledge and Innovation.
- Fostered interdepartmental collaboration to enhance knowledge sharing practices.
- Led development of knowledge management strategies to strengthen organisational learning.
- Implemented tracking systems for evaluating knowledge assets to drive continuous improvement.
- Engaged stakeholders to identify knowledge needs and address existing gaps.
- Championed culture of innovation by promoting exploration of new knowledge management tools.
- Developed training programmes to enhance understanding of knowledge management systems.
- Managed a central team of four, delivering strategic knowledge projects and maintaining team’s knowledge systems.
Senior Knowledge Management Officer
Macfarlanes LLP
London
2015.11 - 2020.11
- Provided KM support across all practice areas, working with senior knowledge lawyers.
- Coordinated and maintained firm's central knowledge repositories and internal KM processes.
- Worked with firm's knowledge manager to rebuild firm's intranet and assisted with launch.
- Delivered training and support to new joiners on how to use firm's knowledge systems and promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing.
Knowledge Management Executive
Macfarlanes LLP
London
2014.03 - 2020.11
- First role in knowledge management. Responsible for helping firm's knowledge manager to deliver day-to-day management of firm's intranet and legal knowledge repositories.
Temporary office work
Covent Garden Bureau
London
2011.11 - 2012.09
- Temporary office work through Covent Garden Bureau and pursuing career transition into information sector by obtaining MSc degree place.
Senior freelance communications position
Ogilvy Healthworld PR agency
London
2011.01 - 2011.10
- Responsible for leading two large PR accounts for international pharmaceutical clients in cardiovascular disease (new treatment launch) and oncology (franchise treatments pre-launch).
Career break
Travelling
2010.05 - 2010.12
- Career break travelling expedition, Central and South America.
Associate Director
Weber Shandwick PR agency
London
2007.11 - 2010.05
- Responsible for leading and directing wide range of £million PR and medical education accounts each consisting of multiple projects for pharmaceutical, patient group and national government organisations.
- Managed five staff members, oversaw large account teams to deliver best possible service to clients and led internal departmental initiatives, such as staff planning and agency marketing, as part of senior management team.
Senior Associate
Burson-Marsteller PR agency
London
2003.07 - 2007.10
- Managed large number of PR and medical education accounts for pharmaceutical clients working across multiple teams, in order to communicate key messages to target audiences.
Senior Account Executive
Magellan Medical Communications
London
2002.03 - 2003.07
- First role in healthcare PR. Managed UK PR projects for pharmaceutical clients.
Education
MSc - Information Science
City University
2012.10 - 2013.10
BSc (Hons) - Physics
University of Warwick
Coventry 1998.10 - 2001.07
3 A-Levels - Biology, Maths, Physics
Maiden Erlegh Secondary School
1991.09 - 1998.07
9 GCSEs - English, Mathematics, Science
Maiden Erlegh Secondary School
1991.09 - 1998.07
Skills
- Knowledge management software expertise
- Cloud storage proficiency
- IT infrastructure knowledge
- AI proficiency
- Project management skills
- Stakeholder engagement
- Content and intranet management
- Data governance
- Information architecture design
- Taxonomy and metadata development
- Training delivery
- Engagement strategies
- Communication skills
- Collaboration facilitation
Affiliations
- International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)
- Noslegal design board, an international open source data standards community
- Quoted in published article in Solicitors Journal on knowledge management in Law Firms
Custom
- IManage Work
- Microsoft 365
- HighQ Collaborate and Publisher
- Content management, incl. HTML / XML / CSS
- SQL databases, incl. Solcara and Blueprint
- Search engine software, incl. Decisiv Search
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Knowledge Manager
Macfarlanes LLP
2020.11 - 2025.09
Senior Knowledge Management Officer
Macfarlanes LLP
2015.11 - 2020.11
Knowledge Management Executive
Macfarlanes LLP
2014.03 - 2020.11
MSc - Information Science
City University
2012.10 - 2013.10
Temporary office work
Covent Garden Bureau
2011.11 - 2012.09
Senior freelance communications position
Ogilvy Healthworld PR agency
2011.01 - 2011.10
Career break
Travelling
2010.05 - 2010.12
Associate Director
Weber Shandwick PR agency
2007.11 - 2010.05
Senior Associate
Burson-Marsteller PR agency
2003.07 - 2007.10
Senior Account Executive
Magellan Medical Communications
2002.03 - 2003.07
BSc (Hons) - Physics
University of Warwick
1998.10 - 2001.07
3 A-Levels - Biology, Maths, Physics
Maiden Erlegh Secondary School
1991.09 - 1998.07
9 GCSEs - English, Mathematics, Science
Maiden Erlegh Secondary School
1991.09 - 1998.07