WA mining executives win national scholarship

Three senior Western Australian mining executives have been named among 16 recipients of Chief Executive Women’s $250,000 scholarship program.

Iluka Resources manager of project generation and geological services Alison Morley, Roy Hill Holdings director commercial Claire Negus, and BHP Billiton superintendent drill and blast Kate Holling were awarded executive education scholarships to Singapore’s INSEAD business school.

CEW is a membership-based organisation that represents Australia’s 300 most senior business women.

It awards scholarships each year for business and management programs at INSEAD in Singapore and France, and Wharton School and Harvard University in the USA.

Ms Morley was a recipient of a scholarship at INSEAD Singapore in 2012, when she was chief executive officer of junior explorer Brumby Resources.

CEW governing council member and Transfield Services chairman, Diane Smith-Gander, said she was pleased that WA women in the resources industry had secured the scholarships.

“This speaks to the potential for emerging diversity in the sector while, while a long time coming, will do a great deal to ensure productivity gains and improve the innovation profile,” Ms Smith-Gander said.

The top scholarship for Wharton School worth $38,000 was awarded to Cecile Wake, vice-president commercial at QGC, which is now a subsidiary of UK-based international LNG company BG Group.