Adelaide‘s Nima Sherpa of BHP’s Olympic Dam recognised in Rio Tinto Women in Resources National Awards
TAKING out a top national award, graduating from a masters in business administration and spending time in three capital cities was all in a day’s work for Nima Sherpa.
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TAKING out a top national award, graduating from a masters in business administration and spending time in three capital cities was all in a day’s work for Nima Sherpa.
The Norwood woman was on Thursday morning named Exceptional Young Woman in Australian Resources at a ceremony in Canberra, before flying back to Adelaide via Melbourne for her graduation in the afternoon.
“It was an exciting day,” the 26-year-old says.
Ms Sherpa, who works as Superintendent — Production Analysis & Improvement at BHP’s Olympic Dam — was recognised in the Rio Tinto Women in Resources National Awards.
She hopes her award will raise awareness about the need for diversity in the sector, noting that she has received overwhelming support from other women since she was named a finalist last month.
“I think we’ve come a long way but we still have a long way to go,” Ms Sherpa says.
“It’s about making sure that leadership supports the diverse thinking they’re asking for, and that when the people are in the system they get the right support.
“A lot of people coming in are young women and they want to make a difference right away. “We need to make sure that their voices are heard.”
Having previously worked in medicine, health and start-up businesses, Ms Sherpa, who moved to Adelaide from Colorado in the US, unexpectedly found herself in the mining industry through networking.
“I met someone who was a director of a mining company and he introduced me to someone who was the manager of a resources company,” Ms Sherpa says.
“So I always say to take opportunities because you never know where it’s going to lead to, and you’ll find out what you’re really passionate about.”
There were more than 33,400 women working in the sector in 2017, up from 8,900 in 2001.
However, that represented just 16 per cent of Australia’s minerals workforce.
The awards are a partnership between the Minerals Council of Australia and state-based energy and minerals organisations.