A pair of trailblazing West Australians are among the winners of the prestigious 2024 Women in Resources National Awards.
The annual ceremony, hosted in Canberra by the Minerals Council of Australia on Tuesdays evening, recognises the outstanding contributions of the highest-achieving women in the Australian resources sector workforce.
Josie Fourie, from Woodside Energy, was named the Dyno Nobel Exceptional Woman in Australian Resources while Dr Evelyn Ng, from Callidus Group, took home the Maptek Woman in Resources Technological Innovation gong.
Chamber of Minerals and Energy Chief Executive Rebecca Tomkinson said both Ms Fourie and Dr Ng were shining examples of the growing pool of talented women breaking new ground in the resources industry.
"Women comprise a growing proportion of the sector's work force and they're not just making up the numbers - in so many instances they are highly respected leaders driving innovation in their fields," Ms Tomkinson said.
"The industry has a long-standing focus on improving diversity. The benefits of that approach are on full display through the field of hugely impressive finalists selected for the 2024 awards.
"While much work has already been done, boosting female participation - from mine sites and laboratories through to the boardroom - remains a priority for the sector.
"Highlighting the achievements of exceptional women like Josie Fourie and Dr Evelyn Ng is a vital part of continuing to promote diversity and attracting the next generation of inspirational leaders."
Both Ms Fourie and Dr Ng were among seven winners of the CME's 15th annual WA Women in Resources Awards, which were presented in March.
Since studying chemical engineering at RMIT, Ms Fourie has spent 25 years working in upstream energy. She became the most senior woman in Australian offshore drilling, forging a path for other females in a male-dominated field. Currently at Woodside Energy, Ms Fourie has led the contracting of modern drilling rigs for the Australian decommissioning, drilling and well completion programs.
Dr Evelyn Ng began her career with First Quantum Minerals at Africa's largest copper mine in Zambia and has worked on five continents in Canada, Japan, Finland and Australia. In her current role as Group Manager of Materials & Innovation at Callidus Group, she has developed four patents. Two of those are already commercialised, with a third in the pipeline.
The Women in Resources National Awards is a partnership between the Minerals Council of Australia and its Northern Territory and Victorian branches, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, the Queensland Resources Council, the New South Wales Minerals Council and the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council, supported by various state Women in Mining Network branches.
