15 October 2025 – The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) today announced that its Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Evans will retire in July 2026 following more than a decade as CEO and over 35 years of service to NATA.
Under Evans’ leadership, NATA has strengthened its role in Australia’s quality infrastructure modernising accreditation service delivery and ICT, deepening stakeholder engagement, and elevating Australia’s voice internationally through her roles with APAC and ILAC.
In announcing her decision to retire to staff Evans said: “It has been the privilege of my career to serve this extraordinary organisation and work alongside so many dedicated and talented people. Every day I see firsthand the best of NATA in action and NATA is trusted as such a vital part of Australia’s quality infrastructure.
“Stepping away is never easy, but the timing is right, and I am confident that NATA is well-positioned for the future.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and deeply grateful for the support, collaboration, and commitment that everyone has shown throughout my tenure as CEO and my career at NATA.”
Commenting on Jennifer’s retirement announcement Sanmarié Schlebusch, Chair of NATA’s board, paid tribute to her leadership.
“Jennifer’s scientific rigour, plain-spoken leadership and commitment to collaboration have left a deep and positive mark on NATA and the wider accreditation and conformity assessment community. We are grateful for her stewardship and the steady confidence she has inspired in our people, our members, our assessors and our stakeholders.
“As CEO, Jennifer has delivered significant organisational change in accreditation service delivery, ICT modernisation, stakeholder engagement, and most recently NATA’s communications and messaging, strengthening our relevance and reach. Her influence, representing Australian interests, has also been felt on the international stage.”
Evans joined NATA in 1987 as a Scientific Officer. She was the inaugural Manager of NATA’s Medical Imaging accreditation program in 1998 and held senior roles of Quality Manager (2001) and General Manager, Accreditation Services (2006) before she being appointed CEO in May 2011.
The NATA Board will soon commence a formal, competitive process to appoint NATA’s next CEO. Evans will officially retire on July 10, 2026.
For further information, please contact:
Corporate Communications, NATA E: corpcomm@nata.com.au | W: nata.com.au
About NATA
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) provides accreditation for laboratories to ensure testing results can be relied on and trusted. As Australia’s sole internationally recognised accreditation authority, NATA’s role is to uphold the national standards of technical competence for those delivering products or services to the general public. Through its extensive network, NATA provides assessment, accreditation and training services to laboratories and technical facilities.