Clare Lavrenčič GradIEAust and Katherine Marquardt GradIEAust were finalists of the 2016 Resources Awards for Women (RAW), presented at the International Women's Day Breakfast, Tuesday 8 March 2016.
Nominated in the category “Exceptional Women in Queensland Resources,” Clare and Katherine epitomise the need for role models and ambassadors for the sector, as the award suggests.
Jointly hosted by Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ), the awards celebrate the contribution and achievements of women working in the minerals and energy sectors. The award recognises exceptional women under 30 who have worked in the resources sector for up to five years and who have shown significant promise in their career to date. These women are also recognised for their ability to network, and mentor other young women.
When asked what it felt like to be nominated as exceptional women in resources, Katherine, a Mechanical Engineer at Bechtel Australia said, “It was a real honour to be recognised with the other finalists and get recognition from your peers, affirming that your efforts are noticed and appreciated! It’s something that I feel like my female colleagues in particular struggle with, which is why the Resources Awards for Women are so important. I’ve been using my experiences to encourage others also to take the time to reflect on how successful and inspiring they are, as leaders, colleagues, and friends.”
Rio Tinto senior advisor, Innovation Centre, Clare shared a similar sentiment about the awards, “It was a proud moment to be recognised for my work and achievements when I received runner up in the Exceptional Young Woman category of the QRC/WiMARQ Women in Resources awards. The industry award was external recognition of the significant milestones I have achieved in going from Graduate Mechanical Engineer to Senior Advisor of the Rio Tinto Innovation Centre in three years.
“Next up, I’m starting maternity leave and will stay connected through Young Engineers Australia, Women in Engineering and other Engineers Australia events. I look forward to returning to work with Rio Tinto next year and continuing to support and encourage women to consider engineering as a viable and exciting career.”
Both Clare and Katherine plan on staying involved in Engineers Australia’s interest group committees, post their award nominations and Katherine has set herself a goal to become Chartered this year, as well as graduating from Monash University with a Masters of Management.
“I hope that these will open opportunities for me to move into more senior, managerial roles. As long as I can use an experience to create, learn, and teach, I will grasp it with both hands! Additionally, I’m really interested in the effect that our cognitive and behavioural biases have on decision-making processes, especially in the workplace, and I’ll be continuing to engage with people on that topic as I’m passionate about helping people to recognise both the need for and their opportunities to learn, grow, and change,” said Katherine.