About the CEO

Sonja Stewart was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of New South Wales in 2020.

Ms Stewart was a Deputy Secretary within the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and prior to that, a Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Public Service Commission. Most recently, she was the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Arrilla Consulting, a joint venture with KPMG.

Ms Stewart has extensive senior leadership experience across State and Commonwealth Governments, the legal profession, academia and the not-for-profit sector.

She has a proven capacity to work and deliver outcomes in complex and challenging environments and an impressive track record of high-level stakeholder engagement on a state, national and international level.

Sonja has a wealth of experience leading policy and regulatory programs, well-honed strategic and stakeholder management skills and a deep knowledge of the regulatory framework, all of which is underpinned by a genuine commitment to a just and accessible legal system.

Ms Stewart has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been a Chairperson and Board Director of Government, academic and not-for-profit boards for more than 20 years.

Ms Stewart, herself a proud Yuin woman, is also the Chair of the Goodes O'Loughlin Foundation which aims to improve educational outcomes of Indigenous youth.