Allan began his career with KPMG, working in Wellington, Sydney, Ontario, and Boston. He later held roles with Audit New Zealand in both Wellington and Auckland, followed by positions at the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, the New Zealand Transport Agency, and most recently WorkSafe New Zealand.

At the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, he served on the Management Executive Board, first as Chief Financial Officer and later as Chief Information Officer. He was then appointed Group Manager, Organisational Support at the New Zealand Transport Agency, where he was recruited by the Chief Executive to help lead the newly merged organisation. After nine years in that role, he undertook a period of consultancy work before joining WorkSafe New Zealand, which he has since left to pursue a governance career.
Allan is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow Certified Public Accountant.