Celebrating Women in Industry

The 2021 Women in Industry Awards highlighted exceptional work being done by females in the industrials sector.

CELEBRATING

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

THE WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS HAVE RECOGNISED AND HONOURED OUTSTANDING WOMEN FROM THE INDUSTRIALS SECTOR.

Exceptional females working in mining, road transport, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, bulk handling, waste management and rail and infrastructure were honoured on Thursday 7 April, at the 2021 Women in Industry Awards in Melbourne.

The awards sought to recognise women achieving great success in their chosen industry, many of which are maledominated industries.

Presented by Prime Creative Media, the 2021 Women in Industry Awards saw eleven awards presented throughout the night, with key figures in infrastructure, engineering and transport being celebrated.

Among the winners was Engineers Australia Chief Executive Officer Dr Bronwyn Evans, who was presented with the top honour of the night, the Woman of the Year award. She was also presented with the

Sponsored by ifm, the Woman of the Year award winner was selected from all finalists in all categories.

Dr Evans has been acknowledged as a true pioneer in the industry, being the first woman to graduate from Electrical Engineering at Wollongong University. She is also the first female CEO at Engineers Australia. Last year Dr Evans was also appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her service to engineering.

Dr Evans said that while celebratory nights were significant, there was still more work to be done across the industrials sector.

“Nights like tonight are important so we can celebrate our successes. However, we still need to have difficult conversations about education, bias, assumptions and missed opportunities for women in industry,” she said.

“We know we will have succeeded when women are represented 50 per cent top to bottom. I urge all of us here tonight to use our profiles and our influence to be role models and to be champions for the amazing women who are joining our industries and professions.”

Evans also received the Excellence in Engineering Award, sponsored by BAE Systems Australia – one of the largest employers of engineers nationally.

Nominees for the Excellence in Engineering award included Amelinda Ilardi, Project Manager, ANCA; Ashleigh Fulcher, Mechanical Engineer, Viva Energy

Australia; Narelle Dobson, Director Special Projects, Department of Transport and Main Roads, QLD and Rachel Barrett, Senior Verification and Validation Engineer, Bosch Australia.

A TRANSPORT TRAILBLAZER Catherine Baxter – Chief Operating Officer, Metro Trains Melbourne was also among the winners, being presented with the Excellence in Transport award.

Baxter has over 30 years of experience in rail, having previously held executive roles in large national ASX listed businesses including Aurizon, UGL, and Boral. She is also a member Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chartered Institute Transport and Logistics.

Under Baxter’s stewardship, the Metro network has seen female employment within the network operations area increase by 65 per cent (51 women to 84), authorised officers by 40 per cent (from 89 to 125) and in-train driving women increased by a further 22 per cent (317 to 387).

As Baxter has previously told National Women in Transport, the sector has come a long way.

“When I joined rail there were no women in senior management. The most senior woman I knew was one level above me when I joined. There was no one to look up to. Now there are lots of women in various levels of rail and transport,” she said.

Fellow nominees for the Excellence in Transport Award included Heather Jones, Director, Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls; Kirstyn Glass, Rail Operations Consultant, Trapeze Group Asia Pacific; Merry Manton, Board Member, Transport Women Australia Limited and Penny Ford, Executive Director Transport Planning Services, Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland.

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS: Social Leader of the Year – Jo Withford, Senior Project Engineer, Transport for NSW Mentor of the Year – Larissa Rose, Director Consultant, GG Enviro Industry Advocacy Award – Megan McCracken, Chair, NAWO Excellence in Engineering – Bronwyn Evans, CEO, Engineers Australia

Excellence in Manufacturing –

Shay Chalmers, Director, Strategic Engineering Australia Safety Advocacy Award – Stephanie O’Dwyer, Manager Health, Wellbeing and Innovation, BlueScope Steel Excellence in Mining – Christine Morris, Director Strategy and Performance, Komatsu Mining Excellence in Transport – Catherine Baxter, Chief Operating Officer, Metro Trains

Business Development Success of the

Year – Lacey Webb, Founder and Director, Resource Hub Rising Star of the Year – Monique Yap, Graduate Engineer, Weir Minerals Woman of the Year – Bronwyn Evans, CEO, Engineers Australia.

Catherine Baxter, Chief Operating Officer, Metro Trains (left), received the Excellence in Transport award. The Woman of the Year award winner was selected from finalists in all categories.

Engineers Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans (left) was presented with the Woman of the Year Award.