Michelle Nolland

Michelle has spent 20 years in the Recreation, Aquatics, and sports sectors in a range of operational, leadership, strategic and executive roles. Michelle has held many executive roles including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer. Michelle has managed and operated over 60 Aquatic and leisure centres.

Industry Roles:

• Immediate Past Non-Executive Director Wheelchair Rugby League Australia
• Immediate Past Non-Executive Board Director for the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) Australia/NZ

Qualifications:

• GAICD
• IAP2 Certificate of Engagement
• Bachelor Exercise Science Major in Sports Management
• Bachelor Human Nutrition Major in Journalism
• Certificate Aquatic and Pool Operations
• Fitness for Seniors certification

Skills and Experience:

• Michelle has spent 20 years in the Recreation, Aquatics, and sports sectors in a range of operational, leadership, strategic and executive roles. Michelle commenced in the industry as a teenage lifeguard working her way up to Chief Operating and Chief Executive Officer roles.
• Michelle has had responsibility of managing over 100 management contracts, the majority of those within the Aquatics and leisure environment. The majority of these were within her executive career working for management groups, but more recently as a consultant, she has been assisting local government clients to realise the potential of their leisure centres.
• Michelle has managed some of Australia’s most iconic Aquatic and Leisure Centres as well as over 40 regional aquatic centres. Over the past 20 years she has developed and managed in excess of over 300 operational budgets, with recent lived experience, she is an expert in compiling realistic operational budgets within any aquatic and leisure environment.
• Strong skill sets within strategic planning, increasing participation through innovative programming and service delivery, enhancing quality in highly regulated environments, creating positive client experience, improving financial viability, and driving improved performance.
• In her capacity working in executive leadership roles, Michelle has undertaken large and complex funding proposals on capital projects for national recreation organisations and bodies to ensure a sustainable asset portfolio for multiple communities.
• Through her extensive operational experience, Michelle has the ability to build strategies to improve budget performance and activation of community assets. She can combine her leisure planning experience with her operational knowledge to create a valuable outcome for her clients and the community.
• Michelle is an experienced corporate speaker who has spoken on a range of community, physical activity, sport, and health related topics at various Australian and International conferences including: The National Sports Convention, Parks Leisure Australia, Local Government NSW and The Aquatic and Recreation Institute and more recently she has been in several market sounding sessions on contract management.