Sonya Ottaway

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Sonya Ottaway is a distinguished Australian-American business leader, philanthropist and empowering young people to learn life lessons through sport-based initiatives.   

With 30 years of experience in audit, consulting, and risk management, Sonya currently serves as a Senior Director within Global Audit Quality at KPMG.

In 2008, Sonya co-founded Netball America®, where she serves as a volunteer CEO. Under her leadership, Netball has been introduced into 33 U.S. states and Canada, while also seeing Netball introduced into USA school curriculums.  She is using Netball as a platform to empower youth, promote inclusivity, and foster global citizenship.  Her direction has also seen Netball being played at Madison Square Garden, the creation and development of the first ever USA citizen women’s Netball team, the development of the first American Netball curriculum through the ‘My Netball Academy’ app series and win awards from organisations such as NIKE, the International Sports Council, the NFL Atlanta Falcons and tennis legend Billie Jean King’s Foundation.

Sonya’s vision created the global award-winning Be An Inspiration® program, which has positively impacted more than 100,000 young people through its focus on increasing social-emotional learning, mental wellness, nutrition and physical fitness.  In recognition of her exceptional service, Sonya has been recognized by the California Legislature Assembly and awarded the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership Award in 2024 in which only 20 people were selected from across the USA.

Her advocacy work has taken her to international stages, including speaking engagements at Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy, the Asia Pacific Sports Council  Conference, launching a Peace Program through Netball in South Africa and collaborative efforts with the U.S. Ambassador in Uganda to promote sport, especially Netball helping youth, especially girls get the confidence needed to help with school and in life.

Sonya is a Certified Chartered Accountant (CA), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a global Project Manager (PMI) and also holds a Bachelor of Business with Honours from the Central Queensland University and is celebrated for her ability to bridge corporate leadership with community impact. 

Her work at KPMG and Netball America® reflects her commitment to excellence, innovation, and creating meaningful change both locally and globally.