Alison Szalwinski is a Vice President at The Asia Group, where she focuses on the company’s China portfolio. She advises clients on the impact of geopolitical developments on corporate strategy and business interests in China and across the Indo-Pacific region, and helps multinational companies navigate the complexities of U.S.-China relations.
Alison has over a decade of experience working on emerging trends in the Indo-Pacific. Prior to her current role with The Asia Group, Alison was Vice President for Research at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), where she provided executive leadership to NBR’s research agenda, briefed a range of audiences on critical policy issues, and engaged with high-level stakeholders across the Indo-Pacific. She currently serves on NBR’s Board of Advisors.
A recognized thought-leader, Alison is the author of numerous articles and reports and contributes frequently to discussions on U.S.-China relations and the implications of strategic and economic competition for U.S. alliances in the region. She co-edited eight volumes of the Strategic Asia series, including most recently Strategic Asia 2023: Reshaping Economic Interdependence in the Indo-Pacific.
Prior to her time at NBR, Alison spent time at the U.S. Department of State and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her knowledge of China also draws on her time teaching English and studying Mandarin in Shenzhen, China.
Alison holds a Master of Arts in Asian Studies from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs and History from the University of Virginia. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities, including snowboarding, hiking, and triathalons.