I studied Bachelors of Science and Engineering at The University of Western Australia. I always knew that I liked Mathematics and Science as a youngster and felt my career would be in Physical Sciences or Mathematics, as I never considered Engineering as a profession that women could participate in. That was until my dad took me to the UWA Career’s expo as a 17-year-old and I saw some enticing displays of Engineering. I decided to enrol in the then double degree course of Science and Engineering – hedging my bets that if I didn’t like Engineering I still had my Science degree. However, I really liked the practical side of Engineering and pursued this as a career.  

I have continued my association with UWA in the last 10-15 years by being part of the Careerlink Mentoring and more recently in the partnering work I do as a Fellow member and volunteer with Engineers Australia.  

After completing my double degree course, I commenced my Engineering career with Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines. I had been told the importance of hands-on experience and was excited to be accepted to Australia’s largest gold mines’ graduate program. My four years in Kalgoorlie, provided me a wealth of personal and professional development that I still cherish. 

I then moved to Alcoa’s Wagerup Refinery where I continued to develop my Engineering skills. I always felt that I would like to go to management roles and moved to Alcoa’s Kwinana refinery, where I held four different maintenance superintendent roles. I gained a wealth of experience in managing varied stakeholders, leading teams and progressing business needs despite many competing priorities.  

I now work at Rio Tinto as a Principal Advisor/Manager. Initially I was a Principal Advisor – Asset Management, where I used my Engineering and Operational experience to support production improvements in the various Iron Ore mines in the Pilbara. Now I am in the Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) group, in the business partner team, where I work with iron ore teams to understand their problems and leverage the skills across IS&T to provide solutions.  

Engineering has provided me the opportunity to work in a variety of roles, where I can use my problem-solving skills to lead teams and improve the business.  

I am currently the Engineers Australia WA President. This is a unique voluntary role where I get the chance to be more closely connected to the profession, advocate for improvements and appreciate the breath of our profession while also giving back to society. 

The Engineering profession has an exciting future with our transition to zero emissions, clean energy and the circular economy.  Engineers Australia estimates more than 50,000 engineers are required in the next few years, from the more traditional areas of infrastructure, roads, and bridges, to the new and emerging areas, that are in line with the national and global priorities to achieve the 2030 and 2050 climate change goals. 

However, our profession has a number of challenges to overcome while providing the innovative solutions for the above.  

- How will we supply the Engineers required for this anticipated growth in demand when there is a continued decline of local student enrolments in Engineering courses? This is coupled with overseas qualified engineers telling us they often struggle to gain employment in line with their technical knowledge and experience. 

- How will we continue to increase the diversity of our profession and hence accelerate the benefits this brings? 

- How will current engineers transition to new and emerging industries, if their current industries are impacted. 

Engineers are a resilient workforce and has and will continue to find ground-breaking solutions that will benefit society. So, if you like problem solving technical and/ or social challenges, then it is an exciting time to either join or continue in the Engineering profession.