Ailsa Williams

Ailsa is a Managing Director based in London, specialising in corporate communications and public affairs advisory for clients facing complex reputational or strategic challenges.

She has over 15 years’ experience in politics, public affairs and campaigning and joined Teneo in 2020 after over a decade at Portland Communications.

She has particular experience in highly-regulated and contested sectors, including infrastructure, transport, financial and professional services and FMCG.

Ailsa is skilled at designing and implementing integrated campaigns to influence political audiences, such as the award-winning campaign to secure Parliamentary approval for Heathrow expansion. She also has extensive experience of issues management driven by political scrutiny, having advised KPMG’s leadership during the investigation into their audit of Carillion.

At Teneo, she advises clients including: NatWest on their new purpose-led strategy; McDonald’s as part of an integrated team driving trust in the brand; USS, the UK’s largest pension fund, currently navigating a complex valuation process; and Elsevier, the scientific publisher owned by RELX.

Ailsa has spent most of her career in consultancy, but began her career as a Parliamentary Researcher to Scottish Labour MPs. She remains a member of the Labour Party.

She has a first class degree in Law with Politics from the University of Manchester.