Nola Hocking

Nola Hocking is the Chief Operating Officer at Lotsearch, responsible for leading operations, people strategy and commercial performance across the business.

Nola joined Lotsearch in 2019 as their finance manager and quickly expanded her remit to include People and HR, where she strengthened organisational design, capability development and team structure. As the business grew, she moved into commercial strategy and operations, driving revenue performance while ensuring long-term stability and profitability.

Today, Nola leads the Operations team, focusing on automation, process effectiveness and scalable systems that enable Lotsearch to deliver efficiently and reliably for clients nationwide. Her leadership has been central to transforming Lotsearch from a small, family-style business into a resilient national organisation with a clear growth agenda.

Nola has also been instrumental in establishing Lotsearch’s Graduate Program, building research capability to develop historical land-use datasets critical to contaminated land investigations, and strengthening operational efficiency to improve both client delivery and the quality of roles within the team.

Before joining Lotsearch, Nola built her career in commercial finance within large FMCG and manufacturing organisations, leading teams across people, process and systems, and driving revenue strategy and operational outcomes.

Getting under the hood with Nola
At Lotsearch, operational strength and commercial discipline sit alongside purpose. Nola embodies that balance, combining structure and systems thinking with a genuine commitment to people and long-term impact.

We believe strong businesses are built on capable teams, thoughtful design and shared values. Nola plays a key role in ensuring Lotsearch operates in a way that supports both client outcomes and meaningful career development.

Before you engage with our data, here’s a closer look at the person helping shape the engine room of Lotsearch.

Outside the office, what does life look like for Nola?
Nola lives locally with her partner and values time in nature to recharge and reset. Weekends often include beach walks, produce markets and trips to the South Coast or Noosa, two favourite places to unwind.

She is currently on the search for a new home, which means spare time is often spent inspecting properties. Travel is also on the horizon, with plans for an overseas adventure later in 2026.

What does Nola enjoy most about working at Lotsearch?
For Nola, it’s about making a difference through people and structure.

She enjoys seeing team members grow, develop capability and step into expanded roles within the business and across the environmental industry. Creating operational systems that allow people to thrive, while delivering consistently for clients is deeply rewarding.

She also values Lotsearch’s relationships with clients and partners, and the collaborative approach to building joint success. Leading strategic conversations, workshops and planning sessions with Pete and Howard, and navigating the challenges and opportunities of a growing business, remains one of the most energising parts of her role.

What achievements stand out most over the Lotsearch journey?
Several milestones represent defining moments in Nola’s time at Lotsearch:
• Establishing the Graduate Program.
• Designing and strengthening team structure and development pathways.
• Expanding report capability across all eight Australian states.
• Moving into the North Sydney office with harbour views, creating a workplace that reflects the company’s growth.
• Expanding services beyond contaminated land into natural hazards and planning.
• Supporting government on large-scale environmental data projects.
• Celebrating 12 years of Lotsearch and delivering over 100,000 reports nationally.

For Nola, one of the proudest achievements has been helping guide Lotsearch through COVID and into a position of strength and stability, creating a foundation that supports both career longevity for the team and increased environmental awareness across Australia.

Biggest learning from the industry so far?
Coming from a commercial finance background, Nola was struck by the scale of environmental data that historically sat fragmented and underutilised.

She has seen first-hand how bringing together disparate datasets, and investing in original research can reveal risks that may otherwise go unmanaged, with real implications for health, land use and environmental protection.

She believes the environmental industry is strengthened by collaboration, and that Lotsearch’s continued growth is built on trusted relationships with clients and partners who share a commitment to improving environmental awareness.

For Nola, sustainable growth isn’t just about revenue, it’s about building a stable, values-led organisation that can invest in its people while delivering meaningful impact for industry and community alike.