{{Short description|Australian business executive}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alison Watkins | image = Alison Watkins AM.jpg | caption = Watkins in 2022 | birth_name = Alison Mary Watkins | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|12|29}} | office = [[Chancellor (education)#Australia and New Zealand|Chancellor]] of the [[University of Tasmania]] | term_start = 25 June 2021 | predecessor = [[Michael Field (politician)|Michael Field]] | alma_mater = University of Tasmania | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM|size=100}} | office1 = Group Managing Director of [[Coca-Cola Amatil]] | term_start1 = March 2014 | term_end1 = May 2021 }} '''Alison Mary Watkins''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 29 December 1962)<ref name="whoswhoinaus">{{cite book |title=Who's Who in Australia |date=2021 |publisher=ConnectWeb}}</ref> is an Australian CEO and director. She has had roles at [[McKinsey & Company|McKinsey]], [[GrainCorp]], [[Berri Limited]], and was a group managing director at [[Coca-Cola Amatil]] from March 2014 to May 2021.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Alison Watkins, Group Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil|url=https://www.theceomagazine.com/executive-interviews/food-beverage/alison-watkins-2/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=The CEO Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Watkins |first=Alison |title=Experience |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-watkins-0b375b82/?originalSubdomain=au |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=Linkedin}}</ref> She has been a member of the [[Reserve Bank of Australia]] Board since December 2020, having previously served on their Takeover Panel.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Duke|first1=Jennifer|last2=Wright|first2=Shane|date=2020-12-17|title=Alison Watkins and Carolyn Hewson to join RBA board|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/alison-watkins-and-carolyn-hewson-to-join-rba-board-20201217-p56ocz.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-08|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217040905/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/alison-watkins-and-carolyn-hewson-to-join-rba-board-20201217-p56ocz.html |archive-date=2020-12-17 }}</ref> She has also held a number of non-executive directorships, including at the Centre for Independent Studies.<ref name=":0" /> In June 2021, she became Chancellor of the [[University of Tasmania]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Members – University Council|url=https://www.utas.edu.au/university-council/about-the-university-council/list-of-members|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-18|website=University of Tasmania, Australia|language=en-AU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612235613/http://www.utas.edu.au/university-council/about-the-university-council/list-of-members|archive-date=12 June 2010}}</ref>
== Early and personal life == Watkins grew up on a farm in [[Tasmania]], Australia.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2014-09-15|title=The 5 mountains I climbed to corporate leadership|url=https://cew.org.au/the-5-mountains-i-climbed-to-corporate-leadership/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Chief Executive Women|language=en-AU}}</ref> After boarding school, she studied for a [[Bachelor of Commerce]] at the [[University of Tasmania]].<ref name=":1" /> During this period, she met her now husband, Rod, with whom she has four children.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-09|title=Coca-Cola Amatil chief executive Alison Watkin's career advice for her daughter|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/cocacola-amatil-chief-executive-alison-watkins-career-advice-for-her-daughter-20160308-gnd2my|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-13|title=How Coke boss Alison Watkins came to appreciate professional gamers|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/how-coke-boss-alison-watkins-came-to-appreciate-professional-gamers-20200813-p55lj6|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> After their university studies, they moved to [[Sydney]].<ref name=":1" />
Watkins' 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]]. Another of her daughters, Grace, is the CEO and director of Click Media, a group she established with a group of other Australian content creators and as of 2024 manages 83 well-known Australian creator brands and formerly managed [[LazarBeam]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Creators |url=https://clickmedia.group/our-creators/ |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=Click Media |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career == Watkins' first role was Junior Associate at McKinsey, where she remained for 10 years.<ref name=":1" /> In 1999, Watkins moved to [[Australia and New Zealand Banking Group|ANZ]] as GGM Strategy & M&A, shifting after 18 months to lead their Regional banking division.<ref name=":1" /> She then took a leading role as CEO of Berri Ltd.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> She is a former group managing director at Coca-Cola Amatil<ref name=":2" /> and is on the board of the [[Business Council of Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alison Watkins|url=https://www.bca.com.au/alison_watkins|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Business Council of Australia|language=en}}</ref>
She was appointed a [[Order of Australia|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".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-26|title=Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia|url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-01/ad22_media_notes_-_am_-_m-z.pdf|access-date=2022-01-27|website=The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-aca}} {{s-bef|before=[[Michael Field (politician)|Michael Field]] }} {{s-ttl|title=Chancellor of the [[University of Tasmania]] |years=2021–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Alison}} [[Category:1962 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]] [[Category:Australian businesspeople]] [[Category:University of Tasmania alumni]] [[Category:Academic staff of the University of Tasmania]]