Richard Kenneth Robert Alston AO (born 19 December 1941) is an Australian businessman, former politician and former barrister.

In his ministerial capacity he led more than a dozen telecommunications and IT trade missions around the world, as well as representing Australia at APEC Telecommunications Ministerial Conferences in Singapore, Cancun, Shanghai and the Gold Coast (chaired).

In 2002 he was voted Best Asian Communications Minister and in 2003 he received an Outstanding Service Award from the Australian Venture Capital Association.

He has chaired the boards of three publicly listed Australian companies, as well as Sunny Ridge, Australia's largest strawberry farm.

He has been a member of the advisory board of investor relations firm, Market Eye, chairman of Qato, an Australian long-short fund, a director of Nanuk Asset Management, a director of CPA Australia for three years.

He has been chairman of the Docklands Community Centre project and a board member of Chaplains Without Borders.

[2] Alston served as a member of the international board of CQS LLP,[3][4] a United Kingdom-based hedge fund for seven years and as a director of its Australian subsidiary.

Alston also served for six years as a director of United Kingdom-based public company, Chime PLC.

[7] Alston was also awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for service as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.