About us

Leadership is what turns good science into real-world impact.

Sarah built Alma from the inside out. She came from deep within the industry – a trusted voice in rooms where the hardest decisions are made, shaped by years in quality, regulatory and leadership roles across Life Sciences and Tech.

She noticed something along the way. Brilliant organisations - developing devices, medicines and technologies that improve lives - were being held back by something far easier to solve: the right support at the right time. A founder unsure of the regulatory pathway. A team going through enormous change. A senior leader carrying more than anyone should carry alone.

That is how Alma was born.

Expertise is what we bring to every conversation.

We provide the spark for your fire. The right expert and honest diagnosis bringing about a moment of clarity that transforms what comes next.

We are not a large consultancy that sends in junior teams. We are a curated network of specialists - deeply experienced, ethically grounded and chosen for our fit as much as our expertise. We work across leadership, people, regulatory, compliance and operational challenges, rooted in the work that matters.

And we stay with you throughout the journey, as a long-term partner who understands where you have been as much as where you are heading.

In a field where better decisions lead to better outcomes, the support you choose matters.

ALMA (latin : nurture)

Chosen to reflect how we work with people, teams and ecosystems, the name Alma reflects the nurturing and compassionate approach we bring to supporting leaders and helping organisations grow with clarity and confidence.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Sarah Mardle

PhD Neuroscience | BSc(Double Hons) Biochemistry & Pharmacology | CPD Accredited Expert Coach | NLP Coaching Practitioner | Top 50 UK Kind Leaders Featured by The FT

A commercially grounded scientist with a deep understanding of how highly regulated organisations work, Sarah has spent her career helping people and teams navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

Her career began at the lab bench, before moving through programme management, departmental leadership and executive roles. Along the way she led global teams, shaped strategy and carried responsibility for decisions that directly affected products, patients and people.

Working across start-ups, scale-ups and major life science and tech organisations including AstraZeneca, Abcam and Baxter, Sarah has seen the full product and business growth lifecycle first-hand. Her expertise in regulation, quality and operational leadership has supported companies launching medical products worldwide, and she has worked with eight of the top ten pharma giants.

Sarah is particularly committed to supporting women in life sciences and tech. She provides focused career coaching for female leaders and emerging leaders, helping them navigate crossroads, secure promotions and step into roles that match their capabilities and ambitions.

Today Sarah brings all her experience to Alma, combining scientific rigour, commercial insight and accredited coaching practice to support leaders, teams and organisations through transition, pressure and growth. She also teaches and mentors at Cambridge University Judge Business School and across the wider Cambridge ecosystem, sharing the lessons of a career spent at the intersection of science, leadership and real-world impact.