Favourites with Nicolle Rantanen Reynolds FAICD

Candid conversations with directors on the interests and insights that have shaped their careers.

Most valuable career lesson?

Go the extra mile and always come up with suggestions and options rather than problems. Don’t be afraid to meet new people — ask them out for a coffee, learn from them and get their ideas and thoughts. You don’t have to take everything on, but it gives you a wide perspective on their experiences. Also, be brave enough to do something different. If you don’t like a job, don’t stay. There are plenty of opportunities out there.

Early career risk that paid off?

I’m an accountant and accountants tend to be risk-averse. I went on to study commercial law, because I was doing a range of superannuation work for government, which required a lot of contract negotiation. I studied the legal challenges faced by horse trainer Gai Waterhouse in obtaining her training licence. I fell in love with horse racing and now I’m chair of Thoroughbred Racing NT.

Work habits that improve your productivity?

I’m a very organised person. Every night before I go to bed, I address every email in my inbox. It’s courteous to respond to people within 24 hours.  Consequently, I have very little in my inbox.

Prediction on the future of leadership?

My hope is that people will get promoted for their leadership skills and their ability to motivate and care for others, rather than solely for their technical skills.

Passion project that gives you a sense of purpose?

I’m president of The Grange Golf Club in South Australia — the first female president and the youngest. My passion is to encourage more people, especially women, to play golf. It’s great for networking and a lot of business gets done on the golf course. You learn a lot about a person by how they play golf — their appetite for risk and how they respond when things go wrong.

Favourite TV show?

The horse racing channel, racing.com, fits perfectly with one of my great passions in life.

Favourite DIY project?

I like gardening. I’m a productive person, so of course I have a productive garden with lots of fruit trees. I’m always very happy to de-stress and dig in the soil.

Favourite travel spot?

You’ve probably caught on to the horse racing theme in my life by now! For the past two years, I’ve been to Royal Ascot in the UK for the horse racing carnival. I absolutely love it, because not only is it a wonderful horse racing experience, it’s also a great social event.

At the end of the races, everybody stands around the bandstand and sings. They have a set of about 20 songs that everybody knows and a crowd of about 20,000 stands there and sings. Whether you’ve won or lost, everyone goes away with a happy tune in their head.

This article first appeared under the headline 'Favourites’ in the May 2025 issue of Company Director magazine.