International Women's Day is celebrated globally on 8 March to acknowledge the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality around the world. The United Nations theme for International Women's Day 2023 is “Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender-equal future”. The overarching goal is to promote gender equality and women's rights.
This week, Boral is celebrating and recognising some of its outstanding female employees, shining a light on their contributions and reflecting on the progress that has been made towards gender equality.
Maneesha Singh started working at Boral in November 2021 and was initially attracted to Boral’s iconic reputation. Currently employed as a Talent Acquisition Partner, Maneesha is responsible for connecting hiring managers with suitable candidates, creating sourcing strategies, shortlisting candidates, and coordinating pre-employment checks and contracts. Her typical day also involves visiting sites and contributing to diversity projects. For her, equity means accepting and respecting individuality, along with recognising and appreciating differences among colleagues. Maneesha’s advice to women is to enquire about roles that interest them, even if they do not meet all the criteria. Maneesha is committed to ensuing Boral remains an employer of choice and building meaningful community partnerships. When it comes to embracing equity, Maneesha suggests keeping an open-mind and taking the time to understand what is important to prospective employees, in order to better support them.
Sarah Ragheb joined DMG in June 2020 as a Cadet after working as an undergraduate engineer at Pro Build. She was attracted to the role at DMG because she wanted to experience construction from a sub-contractor’s point of view. Sarah is currently the Sales and Marketing Coordinator at DMG, and her typical day varies from working on tenders and chasing builders, to going on-site for a photo shoot. Equity, for Sarah, means ensuring that each person has opportunities that are suited to them, with DMG promoting all opportunities equally to all its employees. Graziano Barbaro, Sales Manager at DMG, has been most influential in supporting and shaping Sarah's career. Sarah's career advice to other women is to chase opportunities and not to be afraid of having difficult conversations.
Maree Heath, Senior Environment Business Partner for Western Australia and the Northern Territory, started her journey with Boral as a casual Environmental Specialist and has since progressed to include managing environmental approvals, licenses, tenement conditions, compliance, and regulatory reporting. With a multifaceted team based across Western Australia and the Northern Territory, Maree enjoys being welcomed on-site by the teams at each quarry. Maree believes that treating everyone with respect, as individuals and embracing each person's uniqueness is the way to ensure equity. Her advice to women is to get started on their career goals and to seek out work trials and secondment opportunities. To support women's careers at Boral, Maree emphasises the importance of consultation and empowerment in day-to-day decision-making.
Emma Pane, Area Manager for Asphalt Southeast, has made an incredible contribution to Boral, and her hard work has made her an invaluable part of the team. Starting as a graduate in 2014, Emma has worked her way up through various roles across the business. Despite facing some challenges along the way, she has always had supportive mentors and managers who have helped her to realise her potential. As an Area Manager, Emma oversees asphalt projects and looks after Boral's customers in the Southeast area, managing a large schedule and a team of supervisors, foreperson, paving crews, and a graduate engineer. Her passion for the job is evident in her love for being challenged and seeing her team grow and work autonomously. Emma encourages any woman considering a career change or wanting to work in the asphalt or quarries industry to seize the opportunities available in this fun, exciting, and busy industry. With a 'can do' attitude and a supportive team, anything is possible.
Kristy Chadwick, one of Boral's inspiring Laboratory Services Managers, joined Boral 18 years ago, during which time she acquired a wealth of experience and expertise in overseeing various operations, including at customer sites, leading EBA negotiations, and managing potential injury and safety issues. Kristy's true strength lies in her ability to support team members, empowering them to grow and thrive under her leadership. Utilising an open and approachable style has made Kristy an effective communicator, and her problem-solving skills have led to countless positive outcomes. Kristy believes that women can bring a unique perspective to a technical services career, and she encourages other women to embrace their potential and pursue their passions.
Milly Armstrong, a Mechanical Apprentice at Boral's Berrima cement works in New South Wales, was drawn to the hands-on nature of the role and the welcoming interview process, which made her feel accepted and that she belonged from the beginning. Milly is currently being mentored by colleagues and is training to maintain machinery at the Berrima plant, Milly has found the process fascinating, particularly when she's watching the raw mill's big wheel spin to crush the large rocks. Milly’s team fully support her development and they ensure she feels included and valued. Milly believes that equity is achieved when opportunities that are based on individual needs become available and advises other women interested in pursuing a hands-on career like hers to simply give it a go and truly embrace equity, remembering that we must all do our part by being inclusive, supportive, and prepared to welcome and empower women in the workplace.
Erin Andrews started working for Boral in January 2023 as an undergraduate engineer at the Peppertree Quarry. She was attracted to the company's long history in Australia and her interest in the production of materials for the construction industry. Her typical day involves ‘toolbox’ meetings, site surveys, environmental monitoring, and coordination of blasts. She believes equity is about equal opportunity and gaining different perspectives through consultation and conversations at work. Her advice to other women is not to be intimidated by stereotypes and expectations, and to consider engineering as it is a great career choice with a good balance between creative and analytical thinking.
Our last international Women's Day story is a little nostalgic and sentimental. Lauren Manton is one of Boral’s Product Development Project Managers. Lauren joined the organisation in 2018 as a Concrete Graduate, following in the footsteps of her father who has been with Boral for 33 years. Having studied Environmental Engineering at the University of Wollongong, Lauren has now gained a complete understanding of the ins and outs of a concrete plant. Lauren enjoys visiting job sites, just as she did when she was a kid, when she visited sites in her dad’s truck. Lauren's best advice is to not let fear stop you from pursuing your passion. She encourages everyone to plan what they need to do to succeed and to give it their all, something that Lauren does every day. Her career advice for other women is to; not let anyone make you feel lesser for being a woman, to have your own back always, and to learn as much as they can in order to succeed in your chosen field. We are proud to have Lauren as part of the Boral team.
At Boral, we strive to create an inclusive workplace that promotes equity and diversity. We believe that everyone should have access to the same opportunities and benefits, and we are committed to providing flexible working arrangements for those who may need it. We are proud to have Lauren as part of our team, and we celebrate her achievements this International Women's Day.
If you're interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry, Boral can provide you with the training and support you need to succeed. We offer a range of programs designed to support diversity and inclusion, and we're committed to promoting gender equity at all levels of our organisation. Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance your career, we invite you to consider joining us and becoming part of a team that values diversity, inclusion, and equity.