Nola Hennessy

Nola Hennessy is one of Rotary International’s Inspirational Women 2011 and the USA’s Women of Impact 2014, Nola rose from a childhood of severe constraints to become a senior manager at age 16, a senior leader at age 19, and brings more than 50 years business experience to her work. Nola is the Founding Owner, Managing Director and CEO of Serenidad Consulting® and its Principal Consultant, leading the organization in its strategic intent to facilitate peace and empower others to make positive changes.

Nola is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Leaders and Managers (FAIM), a long-time member of the UN Association of Australia (UNAA) and, since 2019, the volunteer Strategic Advisor to the UNAA’s Peace and Security Program.

Nola sees peace through an educator’s lens and strongly and consistently advocates for ‘prevention’ strategies and education as the only achievable, long-term solution to the ongoing global conflicts and increasing levels of violence, discord, and power and control struggles. As such, she continually takes on the topics, issues, debates and subjects others perceive with fear or hesitation, with her approach always underpinned by Serenidad’s guiding principles of Excellence, Great Leadership and Positive Personal Power. In successfully delivering what others avoid doing, Nola continually raises awareness about issues that others label “too hard”.

Nola also offers a unique perspective in having experience as ‘the CEO working on the shop floor’ multiple times; she is an accomplished and professional speaker, facilitator, educator, negotiator, mediator, interviewer, presenter, change visionary and agent.

Nola holds a post-graduate degree in Human Rights, post-graduate qualifications in clinical hypnotherapy and human behaviors, is a Master-level Dispute Resolution specialist, and holds Advanced Diploma and Diploma level qualifications in complementary areas including adult education, risk management, program and project management, governance, audit, and health and safety.