| Alison Watkins | |
| Birth Date: | 1962 12, df=yes |
| Office: | Chancellor of the University of Tasmania |
| Termstart: | 25 June 2021 |
| Predecessor: | Michael Field |
| Alma Mater: | University of Tasmania |
Alison Mary Watkins (born 29 December 1962)[1] is an Australian CEO and director. She has had roles at McKinsey, GrainCorp, Berri Limited, and was a group managing director at Coca-Cola Amatil from March 2014 to May 2021.[2] [3] She has been a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board since December 2020, having previously served on their Takeover Panel.[4] She has also held a number of non-executive directorships, including at the Centre for Independent Studies. In June 2021, she became Chancellor of the University of Tasmania.[5]
Watkins grew up on a farm in Tasmania, Australia.[6] After boarding school, she studied for a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Tasmania. During this period, she met her now husband, Rod, with whom she has four children.[7] [8] After their university studies, they moved to Sydney.
Watkin’s son, Elliot, is a well known YouTuber by the name Muselk, with over 9 million subscribers on the platform. Her daughter, Ilsa, Is currently in a relationship with Australian YouTuber LazarBeam
Watkins' first role was Junior Associate at McKinsey, where she remained for 10 years. In 1999, Watkins moved to ANZ as GGM Strategy & M&A, shifting after 18 months to lead their Regional banking division. She then took a leading role as CEO of Berri Ltd. Her first non-executive directorship was at Just Group. The first listed company she led was GrainCorp Ltd., where she was at the helm for 4 years. She is a former group managing director at Coca-Cola Amatil and is on the board of the Business Council of Australia.[9]
She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to business through leadership roles with a range of organisations".[10]