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Dynamic duo share top honour

Resources award recognises Queensland’s top women

A mining manager for a coal mine and a chief operating officer for a large resources consultancy have shared this year’s prestigious Queensland Resources Council’s Award for Women.

The judges couldn’t separate Unidel group chief operating officer, Susan Denk, and Jennifer Mackenzie, mining manager for BMA’s Norwich Park coal mine in this year’s awards, which were presented by the Minister for Women Karen Struthers today.

The awards presentation took place in front of more than 600 people at the QRC’s annual International Women’s Day breakfast, a record crowd.

Susan, a petroleum engineer has more than 15 years’ experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, working in engineering, operations, management and executive positions.

In the early 1990s she was possibly the first female engineer to work in the Jackson oilfields in south-west Queensland and the first woman to work offshore for the giant oil and gas service provider Schlumberger in the Java Sea.

She was IT manager Middle East and Asia for Schlumberger, no mean feat in cultures where she was often required to be fully covered head to toe in an abaya robe.

While in the Middle East she became involved in Schlumberger’s education excellence program for schools, and is now on the board of Lourdes Hill College in Brisbane.

“It is important to me to play a role in creating greater options, not just for my own daughters, but for all bright young women out there who I have contact with through my mentoring, and interface with in my involvement with education,” said Susan.

Susan is also the newly appointed chair of the voluntary group Women in Mining and Resources Queensland, which organises networking opportunities for women in Brisbane and regional centres throughout Queensland.

Jennifer has also broken new ground for women in the industry.

Just last month she was the first woman to the appointed to the role of mining manager by BMA when she accepted the role at the company’s Norwich Park Mine.

It was also the first time a person from a processing background had been appointed as a mining manager within BMA.

In 2008, Jennifer was the first woman to be appointed to the role of coal handling and preparation plant manager by the company. She is only the second woman to have held an operational management position within BMA.

Jennifer, a metallurgical engineer, is one of only 20 people globally to have been accepted last year into BMA’s accelerated leadership development program.

She is also involved in myriad community events around Dysart, particularly in women’s health and mentoring young women. Jennifer was the founder of BMA’s Operational Working Women’s Group, which focuses on education programs and initiatives for girls and professional development for women.

“As a woman in my current position, I have the ability to not only positively influence those coming after me, but also set the standard by which all in the industry should expect professional women to conduct themselves,” sahe said.

“I am very aware of my responsibility to myself, those in my team, those who believe in me and support me every day and those who have provided me with some very special opportunities in my career.”

QRC chief executive Michael Roche said the award and breakfast were important elements of the council’s strategy to increase the proportion of women in the resources sector.

“The breakfast provides a flagship networking opportunity, while the awards provide roles models and ambassadors for women in the sector, while highlighting career opportunities to young women.

“We are very pleased to see Western Australia introducing similar awards and breakfast function this year based on our model.

“With women making up only 14 per cent of our members’ employees, and a skills shortage looming, we need to continue to pull out all stops to attract and retain women in our sector.”

Pic: Susan Denk and Jennifer Mackenzie