More women ‘board ready’ in NSW mining and business

Two high-performing women and leaders in mining and business in NSW have been recognised as part of a program to increase female participation on Australian boards.

 

Ms Stefanie Loader, Managing Director at CMOC-Northparkes Mines and the new Chair of the NSW Minerals Council, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship with the Australian Institute of Company Directors along with Hunter Business Chamber CEO Kristen Keegan.

 

More than 1300 women applied for the program and only 70 recipients were selected from a broad spectrum of community, ASX-listed companies, not-for-profit organisations and politics, based on their experience and leadership potential.

  

The scholarship program is one of several initiatives by Company Directors to support board diversity. A dedicated board diversity website publishes the only real time diversity statistics on S&P/ASX 200 female board appointments, showing the number of women on our top boards has grown from around 8 per cent in 2008 to 18.8 per cent at October 31 this year. 

 

NEWS: Stefanie Loader first woman elected Chair of NSW Minerals Council 

 

Ms Loader is a positive role model for women in mining and was recognised by the Australian Financial Review and Westpac as one of 100 Women of Influence in October 2013 for her contribution to the mining industry. Ms. Loader was also a founding member of Rio Tinto’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.

 

“I thank the AICD and the Australian Government for this scholarship and congratulate them for their support to increase the number of women who are ‘board-ready’,” Ms Loader said.

 

“I’d like to think that the scholarship recipient list is a helpful shortlist of potential board candidates for 2016 and beyond. 

 

“The skills from the Company Director’s Course will be of immediate use as I now take on the position of Chair of the NSW Minerals Council and I hope to also use the course to build my networks with female and male business leaders across NSW such as fellow recipient Kristen Keegan.”

 

Kristen Keegan, CEO of the Hunter Business Chamber and a strong supporter of the NSW minerals industry, is also a recipient of an AICD scholarship. 

 

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to do a world class course. Getting more women through these courses means they become part of the key decision making processes, and that’s good for business,” she said. 

 

Jointly funded by Company Directors and the Australian Government, the Board Diversity Scholarship Program allows high performing women across Australia to complete Company Directors’ highly-regarded educational courses. Recipients also receive a free 12 month membership to the Australian Institute of Company Directors.