Late last year, Women in Mining UK released a report entitled 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining, in collaboration with women in mining groups from Australia, Canada, South Africa and the US.
WIM (UK) commissioned a three-stage study in 2012 in conjunction with PwC in London to analyse trends and performances of women on boards and in senior management positions in the global mining industry.
In her foreword to the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining report, WIM (UK) chair Amanda Van Dyke said one of the key findings of the PwC report was the lack of female role models in the mining sector.
“As a result, we have created this truly international project to identify some of the most inspirational women in the global mining industry,” she wrote.
“Working with our international women in mining partner groups, we have assembled 100 individuals whom, we believe, demonstrate skills and attributes which can inspire a new generation of professionals in all walks of the mining industry.
“Those we selected stand out in a number of ways. They have a lasting impact on the industry. They support other women in mining and the communities and environments impacted by the industry.
“We wanted to make sure that regardless of career stage, discipline or jurisdiction, the end result also encapsulated how diverse and high achieving women in our industry are.”
WA women occupied 16 spots on the list.
The state’s inspirational women in mining included Toro Energy chair Dr Erica Smyth and managing director Vanessa Guthrie, Allen & Overy resources and energy partner Meredith Campion, CSIRO CEO Dr Megan Clark, Boddington pit technician supervisor Jodie Gray, CopperChem site senior executive and mining manager Kirsty Liddicoat, Newmont Mining dump truck operator and trainer Lisa Mirtsopoulos, outgoing Brumby Resources CEO Alison Morley, Momentum Partners head of mining and WIM WA founder Sabina Shugg, Cloudbreak general manager Julie Shuttleworth and BHP Billiton head of group investments and value management Vanessa Torres.
Rio Tinto had a strong showing with health, safety, environment and communities global head Joanne Farrell, Rio Tinto Iron Ore port maintenance GM Marnie Finlayson, Tom Price and Marandoo GM Sinead Kaufman, mine development superintendent Kalpana Maharage and RTIO port safety officer Donna Weston all making the list, in addition to other Australian and global Rio employees on the list.
Last month Campion hosted a breakfast at Allen & Overy’s Perth office, which was attended by eight of the 16 WA inductees.
“The opportunities for women in the mining industry, from the corporate side right through to operations, continue to grow and I hope this recognition of their contribution helps encourage more women to join the industry,” she said.
CME WA CEO Reg Howard-Smith also attended the event and said he was proud that the WA resources sector workforce was around 19% – higher than the global average of 14%.
“We sit at the highest in the world. There’s a long way to go – there’s still a big gap,” he said.
“There’s no time for relaxation – far from it.”
However, the figure was down from around 22% in 2011, with Howard-Smith saying CME WA was working on the reason behind that.
“We don’t know but intuitively, we think it’s a result of the redundancies that have taken place over the past 18 months,” he said.
But the CME’s 2013 Diversity in Resources study showed that women in management roles were increasing.
“That’s the good news, so it’s really pleasing to see that,” Howard-Smith.
Three of the WA women on the list had won women in resources awards last year.
Shuttleworth was women in resources champion, Guthrie was named outstanding professional woman and Gray was named outstanding technician/operator/trade woman.
Howard-Smith said just when the CME thought the calibre of entrants had peaked, it looked to exceed last year’s already.
“We have almost 1000 people down at the Convention Centre – it’s just awesome.”
Aside from WA women, there was a number of other Australian (or Australia-based) women on the list, including new Energy Resources of Australia CEO Andrea Sutton and ERA environmental studies principal advisor Michelle Iles, BHP finance vice president Margaret Beck, Rio Tinto Coal New South Wales regional manager for resource development Heather Bell, Geos Mining director Sue Border, Perilya projects and group metallurgy GM Fran Burgess, Century operations manager Sandra Collins, BHP principal geologist Donna Frater, AMC Consultants principal consultant Alison Keogh, BHP Yarrie mine manager Tina Markovic, BHP governance director and group company secretary Jane McAloon, Northparkes technical services manager Jane Naidoo and Callide production supervisor Myfwangy Szepanowski.
Bell, Collins, Markovic and Szepanowski are current or past winners of the Queensland Resources Council resources awards for women.
Globally high profile women to make the list were former Anglo American CEO and current BP director Cynthia Carroll, Rio Tinto Alcan CEO Jacynthe Cote and Rio director Vivienne Cox.
