Nicola Wakefield Evans

Apart from her position as Chair of MetLife Australia, Nicola is a highly respected and experienced Non-Executive Director of significant ASX listed, government and private companies. Nicola is an M&A and equity capital markets lawyer and spent nearly 30 years at King & Wood Mallesons (20 years as a partner) practising law and in several senior management roles. She has extensive experience in Asia where she advised a number of Asian and Australian companies in her legal career and where she has experience across Asia in her non-executive director career.

She has held directorships and chairmanships across banking, energy, real estate, logistics and health insurance businesses as well as not-for-profit organisations. In 2023, Nicola was awarded as a member of the Order of Australia for services to business, law and diversity.

Nicola is passionate about diversity and is the Chairman of the 30% Club (Australia). Nicola was selected in 2009 as a member of Advance Asia 50 – a group of the most influential Australians living & working in Asia and was selected in 2011 as a member of Advance Global 50 – a group of leading Australian women working outside Australia.  The Australian Financial Review named Nicola in 2013 as one of the inaugural 100 Women of Influence.

Nicola joined the Board of MetLife Australia as a Non Executive Director of MetLife Australia in August 2019 and was recently appointed as Chair in February 2024.