The Women in Industry Awards filled the Doltone House Hyde Park Ballroom. Do you know who won?
Derelle Mitchell’s drive to rekindle her career after raising her children led her to seize an opportunity to acquire the assets of a cosmetic manufacturing company in 2011, marking the humble beginning of Health Focus Manufacturing (HFM).
Starting with a small team in a “big green shed”, Derelle has grown HFM over the past decade to accommodate more than 40 staff members with more than 200 years of combined experience.
As the Managing Director of HFM, she has built a world-class manufacturing facility, ensuring a hands-on approach with a focus on efficient processes and quality products while nurturing its partners. In June, Derelle was rewarded with the Woman of the Year award (sponsored by Fulton Hogan) and the Excellence in Manufacturing Award (sponsored by PACCAR Australia), at the 2024 Women in Industry Awards.
“I started this business from very humble beginnings,” she told a sold-out audience at Doltone House during the awards ceremony.
“The most enjoyable thing I get from my job is getting people jobs, and I love what I do. My husband sees what I’m putting into the business. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifices for work every day.
“I wake up every day at 4 o’clock in the morning, and I love it, especially the people I work with. I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for them.”
The Women in Industry Awards continue to celebrate the achievements of women in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as mining, manufacturing, engineering and transport and logistics and hope to highlight these industries as great career choices for other women by acknowledging the success stories.
In 2024, the 11th annual awards showcased exceptional examples of industry advocacy, mentorship and sector excellence with a record 164 nominations received across 12 categories.
The judging panel faced a difficult task deciding the winners but in front of their peers across the country, 11 category winners and the Woman of the Year were announced.
Mentoring supports women
Having the right mentor or mentors when entering a male-dominated industry is vital for ongoing success.
Kirstin Reblin, the winner of this year’s Mentor of the Year award, embodies the essence of the award through self-driven initiatives and unwavering advocacy for women as the General Manager of Transformation at Opal Packaging.
Kirstin has tirelessly fostered female talent at Opal across all functional areas, hierarchy levels, and sites, ensuring inclusivity and empowerment at every turn.
As a National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO) mentor since 2020, Kirstin has spearheaded expanding mentoring programs, including driving Opal’s NAWO Mentoring initiative and engaging senior leaders to participate as mentors.
Her dedication to fostering diversity is evident in creating “Thinking Diversity: Women at Opal” in September 2022, a network boasting more than 450 members in March 2024.
She has championed women’s development through structured catchups and individual mentoring, as evidenced by heartfelt testimonials from several mentees and senior leaders.
“I’m so grateful to the Women in Industry Awards,” Kirstin said. “I want to thank everybody who is here and nominated for this award because we are putting ourselves out there to be courageous and go above and beyond.”
She said she continues to mentor others because she’s energised by seeing women grow in male-dominated industries.
Safety key to excellence
Acknowledging the Safety Advocacy Award winner recognises the best work in ensuring people’s safety.
The winner in 2024 is Kathleen Kelly, a Health and Safety Advisor at McConnell Dowell. With a management background spanning construction, operations, human resources, occupational health and safety, training, WorkCover claims, and injury management, Kathleen is passionate about crafting and implementing health, safety, and wellbeing programs.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time,” Kathleen said. “I love my job. I’ve been blessed with the industries and companies I’ve worked for. I work at McConnell Dowell, and I am proud to work with this company and its fantastic values.”
Transporting success
The Excellence in Transport Award (sponsored by Kenter Logistics) recognises an individual who has gone above and beyond to improve and positively impact the Australian transport industry.
Representing Swietelsky Rail Australia (SRA) is Anne Modderno, the first female Managing Director of any Swietelsky international subsidiaries. She spearheaded the development of the company’s Sustainability Strategy, reflecting her dedication to driving positive social and environmental impact.
Beyond her professional achievements, Anne advocates for inclusivity and diversity within the sector, promoting initiatives to increase female participation and close the gender pay gap.
“If you ask any of my staff, family or colleagues here tonight, they will tell you that I have no trouble speaking at all,” said a shaken Anne. “But when I thought about coming up here and taking credit and being grateful for something I’ve done as an individual, I found it really uncomfortable and nerve-wracking. Then I realised that this is why we need awards like this.
“We need to get uncomfortable to talk about what we have achieved. We need to get comfortable about being uncomfortable because if we can’t project that, no one else will see it.”
Full list of winners
- Allyson Woodford (APA Group) – Excellence in Engineering (proudly sponsored by SEW-Eurodrive)
- Anne Modderno (Swietelsky) – Excellence in Transport (proudly sponsored by Kenter)
- Kate Leone (UGL – M6 Stage 1 Project) – Rising Star of the Year (proudly sponsored by Atlas Copco)
- Kathleen Kelly (McConnell Dowell) – Safety Advocacy Award
- Kirstin Reblin (Opal Packaging) – Mentor of the Year
- Sandra Robinson (United Rentals) – Business Development Success of the Year
- Sinead Booth (Fortescue) – Excellence in Mining
- Sinead Redmond (GeelongPort) – Excellence in Construction
- Steph Gee (CM & SM Gee Electrical) – Industry Advocacy Award (proudly sponsored by Komatsu)
- Vesna Olles (BOC Limited) – Excellence in Energy
- Derelle Mitchell (Health Focus Manufacturing) – Excellence in Manufacturing (proudly sponsored by PACCAR Australia) and Women of the Year (proudly sponsored by Fulton Hogan)
For more information, visit: www.womeninindustry.com.au
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