Nola Watson

Nola Watson is a recognised leader in risk management and strategy who has operated at the highest levels of business and government.

She is currently President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers. Until recently she was President of Business NSW and Chair of the Board and served for 9 months as the interim CEO of that organisation.

Nola also has a broad range of other Board and Committee experience. She was Director of the IAG and NRMA Superannuation Board and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee. She was also a Director of Australian Services Roundtable and State Records Authority of NSW. She was a member of the Advisory Committee to the ABC’s Australia Network across Asia Pacific.

She was previously an Executive General Manager at Insurance Australia Group with group wide responsibility for governance, risk and compliance across Australia, New Zealand, England and Asia. Prior to this she led the shared services portfolio of Corporate Affairs, Legal, Government & International Relations and Strategic Partnerships for NRMA, SGIO and SGIC insurance in Australia

Before working in financial services, Nola spent many years in senior executive positions within Commonwealth and New South Wales governments. She was part of the executive leadership team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and also served in a diplomatic position in Washington DC.

Nola holds degrees from Sydney University and the Australian National University. She has business qualifications from INSEAD France and is a graduate of the Advanced Risk Management program at Wharton Business School USA.
She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Nola is a former Telstra Australian Businesswoman of the Year and was awarded the Commonwealth of Australia Centenary Medal “for services to Australian society in business leadership”.