People Profile
Sharon Gerber
Sharon Gerber recently joined the Auckland Cranes family as the HSE Manager, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from her time in the resources industry. We caught up with Sharon to learn more about why health and safety is close to her heart, and how to foster a sustainable safety culture. Give us a summary of your professional journey so far… What is your current role and how did you come to be in this role? I knew from a very young age that I wanted to protect people in the workforce, however as a young lady, fresh out of school, I had a mentor assigned to me who encouraged me to go into a field that was more suitable for a “lady”, so I studied Management Accounting. After completing my studies in management, my professional journey started at a Steel Manufacturing company in South Africa which was home to approximately 1500 employees. My interest in risk management did not subside and I somehow managed to undertake various HSE courses and eventually landed a role as a Junior Safety Professional within the organisation. 28
LIFTING MATTERS
ISSUE Q2 2020
Sharon Gerber HSE Manager, Auckland Cranes
During my 10 years in the Steel Industry, my career grew as I gained experience and was promoted from a Junior Safety Professional to a Lead ISO Auditor across the sister companies, primarily focusing on Safety and Quality. In 2008, an opportunity not to be missed arose within BHP Billiton. This opportunity offered construction experience on a mining optimisation project that would house 7500 contractors. During my 8 years in BHP Billiton, I not only gained significant construction experience, but also obtained a Degree in Safety Management and focused largely on Safety and Business Risk Management. In 2016 I took up an opportunity at a Chrome Mine, as a SHEQ Manager where I was also elected as a spokesperson for Women in Mining for the North West Region. At the end
