After a record-breaking 2023 event, the Women in Industry Awards will return to Sydney in 2024.
Lilian Bland was the first woman in the world to design, build and fly an aircraft. In the decades since, women have spread their wings and chartered new courses, taking on jobs that were once traditionally male dominated.
The Women in Industry Awards have always sought to recognise and celebrate women driving change and breaking down barriers. The 2023 awards soared to new heights with a record 160 nominations across 10 categories and a gala dinner that sold out for the first time in its history.
The 2024 event, to be held in Sydney in June, is set to propel the awards further with an opportunity to acknowledge trail blazers across industries including waste management, mining, transport, manufacturing, bulk handling, construction and engineering and logistics.
Fulton Hogan, proud sponsor of the Women of the Year award for a second year, is one of four sponsors to sign up for the 2024 awards. Other sponsors for 2024 include Atlas Copco – Rising Star of the Year; SEW-EURODRIVE – Excellence in Engineering; and Paccar – Excellence in Manufacturing.
Graeme Johnson, Fulton Hogan Chief Executive Officer, says the sponsorship demonstrates Fulton Hogan’s commitment to supporting and driving change within predominantly male industries and doing what it can to make heavy industry more attractive and accessible for women to join and stay.
“Fulton Hogan recognises that diversity is not only essential for us to change, adapt and grow, but it also good for business and results in happier workplaces with a better culture leading to better retention of our people,” Graeme says.
PACCAR has a long history of supporting women in all areas of its global businesses and recognises programs such as the Women in Industry Awards help promote women more broadly than its own company and industry.
Michael Long, Director Sales and Marketing, PACCAR Australia, says being part of the awards helps the company further its goal of celebrating and championing inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
For Fiona Halliday, Atlas Copco HR Business Partner, the awards are an opportunity to recognise the contribution of women in industry and their examples for the next generation.
“Atlas Copco sponsors the awards to show our commitment to females in non-traditional industries and how we can find a better way towards equal representation,” Fiona says.
“We love taking our team to the celebration and showing them the example that is set by all of these amazing women.”
It’s a sentiment shared by SEW-EURODRIVE and its Senior HR Business Partner Laura Arias.
“Knowing how vital gender diversity is in our manufacturing industry drives us to work together to recognise women and support them in fulfilling their goals,” says Laura.
“Once again, we have the pleasure of sponsoring the Women in Industry in 2024.”
With the launch of the 2024 event, award nominations are officially open.
Giselle Phillips, from Fredon Queensland, was thrilled to have won both the Woman of the Year (sponsored by Fulton Hogan) and the Safety Advocacy Award (sponsored by Komatsu) in 2023. The latter seeks to recognise an individual working actively to improve safety for their industry.
“This acknowledges the dedication and passion I’ve put into my work as a safety professional,” Giselle said.
“In my role at Fredon, I have taken almost every woman on their journey. I’ve advocated for them. I have put them up for submissions. I’ve interviewed them. I have listened to them, and we are all in the same boat. We are not in competition with each other. We need to advocate and help each other get where we need to be.”
BHP’s Ashara Moore, who won the Excellence in Mining award at the 2023 awards, says the recognition is both humbling and a time of celebration.
In the second year of a PhD studying sustainable tailings management, Ashara says winning the award, despite only having five years in the industry, is a chance to reflect on her professional and personal journey so far.
“It’s a celebration of myself as a continually developing individual, and of the teams, mentors and family that have helped shape me into the woman I am today,” Ashara says.
“This award is also a tangible reminder that recognition comes with the responsibility to continue to persevere, grow and see things through.
“There are so many things I want to do within this industry – completing my PhD and acting as a conduit between researchers and industry is just one of these many things. The award reminds me that while I am on the right track, and I should celebrate achievements and successes, I am by no means anywhere near the finish line.”
Categories in the 2024 awards are Rising Star of the Year, Business Development Success of the Year, Industry Advocacy Award, Mentor of the Year, Safety Advocacy Award, Excellence in Manufacturing, Excellence in Transport, Excellence in Engineering, Excellence in Mining, Excellence in Construction and Woman of the Year.
The 2024 Women in Industry Awards will be held in Sydney on Thursday, 20 June.
Nominations and sponsorship opportunities are now open. If your business wants to nominate a leader in their field or sponsor the Women in Industry Awards 2024 (or even both), visit: www.womeninindustry.com.au