Women in STEM - Holly's Story

Introduction

You can probably interpret from the length of my responses that I am passionate about the roles I have held in STEM fields. I have aimed to be reflective and transparent when sharing my experiences in industry to date. I hope my passion for working in science and leadership roles, and also my love of being a mother shines through, and creates some chatter amongst those of you that make it to the end of my Q&A!

My answers largely focus on women and girls, due to the fact the Q&A is in recognition of The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. I note however - many of the points I raise, apply to many other individuals and groups in society, and many of the barriers that women face in STEM, require a holistic approach in order to see positive changes for all, not just for women.

Do you have any qualifications/are you currently studying towards a qualification?

BSc. (Hons.) in Geology and Physical Geography from the University of Liverpool, qualifying in 2005. MSc. in Water Resources Technology and Management from the University of Birmingham, qualifying in 2008.Certificates in Frontline Management, PRINCE2, Change Management.

I am about to start my application to become a Charted Geologist here in the UK. This is something that Central Alliance support and will fund, which is fantastic.

What got you interested in STEM?

My parents took me and my brother out in to the Peak District most weekends, hiking. I just loved being out in the fresh air, and still do. They always made a point of explaining to me what I was seeing, such as meandering rivers, rocks, different plants etc. During high school, I realised that studying Geology and Geography would suit me and my interests.

Is there anybody that inspired you to get into STEM?

As above, my parents’ appreciation for the outdoors, rubbed off on me. Also in high school, I had amazing Geography teachers who made learning fun and interesting. At the age of 16, Geology was offered as a new subject for A level, so I jumped at the chance. My Geology teacher was great, he encouraged me to apply to Liverpool University to study Geology and Physical Geography, so off I went and loved it.

Describe your professional journey so far:

My sixteen-year professional journey to date is best divided into 4 parts.

1) Junior Geologist roles, 2) Senior Leadership and Management roles, 3) Motherhood, and planning on how to return to the workforce, 4) Mothering and Working.

Part 1 - Junior Geologist Roles

After graduating from my Masters in hydrogeology, I realised I loved rocks more than water, so decided to look for a job in Geology. At the time, that was really hard in the UK, as there wasn’t much going for geologists. Many of my friends, whom I’d studied Geology with as an undergraduate, had moved to Western Australia (WA) and landed amazing jobs for exploration and mining companies. The pay was a lot better than the UK and there was a huge shortage of geologists over there, so I jumped at the chance to live and work in Australia.

I moved to Perth, WA at the end of 2008, and commenced my first role as a Graduate Exploration Geologist, employed by AngloGold Ashanti, a mid-tier global gold mining company. I was based at the Sunrise Dam Gold Mine in the middle of rural Western Australia. The role was a fly in-fly-out (FIFO) one, which most are in WA. I flew to work, worked on site for 8 days at a time and lodged in the mine site village at night, along with approximately 500 other mine site workers. At the end of my eight day roster I was flown back to Perth for my for 6 days off. When you are on site you work hard, at least a 12 hour shift 5am-5pm, but the 6 days off are well worth it. I absolutely loved the roster and loved working in FIFO roles.

My first five years working were spent in junior geologist roles (Graduate through to Project Exploration Geologist), working in greenfields and brownfields exploration and also resource development, both underground and on surface. The team I was part of was accountable for discovering new deposits up to 80km from the existing mine, and was also accountable for discovering new orebodies and extensions to known orebodies within the existing mining footprint.

The junior roles involved learning the ropes with regards to Australian Geology, mining, drilling, assaying, QAQC, OHS&E and also about the traditional owners of the land we operated on. Some of the sills needed were being able to work well in a team, being able to work to tight deadlines and at a fast pace, being organised, having good data management and interpretive skills, being hands-on, enjoying being out in the field all day or logging core all day, working in very hot conditions, and being happy to drive and work underground. I spent three of my junior years chasing drill rigs around the bush, logging the regolith and the rock chips, eating my lunch under trees with the drill crews, surrounded by the outback - it was magical. I’d return, orange in colour, to the mine camp at night - coated in layer upon layer of orange dust mixed in with suntan cream (these were the days before long sleeve shirts and trousers were mandatory PPE)!

Part 2 - Senior Leadership & Management Roles

After five years in junior roles, I progressed in to operational leadership roles (Senior, Superintendent and Manager positions) on the mine. Each promotion entailed taking on more accountability, managing more people and being accountable for the development and delivery of bigger budgets and strategies. My move into leadership roles was supported by training and certification in Frontline Management, along with various other learning and development courses in this field. I also had an amazing manager, who taught me a lot and was very supportive. I love leading teams, people fascinate me! I enjoy striving to create a positive culture and a workplace that people enjoy coming to and being a part of.

My last mine site role was that of Exploration Manager in 2020. This involved leading a team of ~ 12 geologists, 20 geology technicians and I was company lead for approximately 100 drilling contractors both on surface and underground. During my tenure, I managed the largest exploration geology budget the department had acquired in its 20 year mine life ~$26M AUD in 2020, which was also the biggest exploration budget within the company that year, globally. With that, the team discovered a new underground orebody and added 1.2 million ounces of gold into the mineral resource base in 2021. A brilliant effort by all involved, many with different skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.

I absolutely loved being part of the management team, helping to shape and drive strategy. It was a big step up from my previously held Superintendent roles, and I learnt a lot more about the bigger business picture, and about how all departments integrate to work as one, to deliver on plan. I had a great manager who instilled within us that we needed to work as a united front; if you didn’t agree with something, voice it, then land on the way forward. Even if you didn’t think it was necessarily the right path, you understood the need to be united, to back one another and to back the plan. Integrity and trust are very important when in a team and when working to deliver a business plan.

Part 3 - Motherhood & planning how to return to the workforce

From the beginning of 2021, I took up parental leave, taking 18 months off work to focus on being a mum to my little boy. It was very important to me (as I had struggled for many years to become a mother) that I took time away from work to give my full attention to being a mum, and I was fortunate enough to be able to afford to take extended time away from work.

Whilst on leave, I decided I would not return to my full time Exploration Manager role for three main reasons, which I hope will provide insightful.

1. The Manager role was huge; it came with big accountabilities, big workloads and lots of people to manage. I averaged 60 hour working weeks, and was also on call 24/7 if the team needed me. The role was dynamic and mentally taxing with lots of balls constantly being juggled. In recognition of the size of the role and the workload, the salary was brilliant. I worked hard, and was paid well, which suited me because I loved the job and what it entailed. Plus the team I worked with were amazing and without them giving their best, my job would have been so much harder. As much as I loved the job, once I became a mum, my thoughts pre-motherhood were confirmed. I knew I couldn’t do both as well as I wanted to, so one had to give and that was a no brainer for me. When I’m in a job, I have to give it my all, and once I became a mum I knew I’d be stretched too thinly and I did not want this. I therefore sought out a role with less accountability and less hours, one that wasn’t business critical to operations on a daily basis.
2. The manager role was full time, site based and there was no feasible residential place to relocate, to be closer to the mine with a young family. The site I was based at was a 1.5 hour flight away from Perth and in a remote location. The nearest residential area was a 1 hour drive away, with very few facilities and amenities and no suitable childcare facility for my son. In addition to this, the Manager role at the time I held it was integral to mine operations, meaning a decent proportion of it needed to be spent on the mine site, and not working remotely from elsewhere. This is something I agreed with, given the business needs at the time. So, I couldn’t see a way I could have fulfilled the needs of the role for the business at the time. Role flexibility is wonderful and I fully support it being properly explored and considered. On one hand, we need to be mindful that businesses do have needs, and at times the needs are that the role holder is required to be located at a particular work place for a set proportion of the time, in order to deliver on the business plan and also to be there to support the team appropriately. In some cases, it can take time for resources to be available to give higher degrees of flexibility to roles / role holders. We need to be mindful of this, as we want to set flexibility up to be successful for the individual requesting it and also for the business. On the other hand, businesses need to be aspirational in terms of flexibility and should support periodically reviewing what can be done to achieve it in roles. It is important to look at each request for flexible working on a case by case basis and not to have biases when reviewing. Organisations need to remember that flexibility is different for each individual and they need to be mindful that business requirements are constantly changing. To attract women into STEM roles and to retain them once in role, how a company approaches flexibility and embeds it into their business is one of the most important factors for women, and everyone. Back to my example, just because the Manager role could not be undertaken remotely at the time, it does not mean some of it won’t be able to be undertaken remotely now or in the future.
3. I was ready for a change. After 12 years working full time in a fly in fly out role, I was ready for a change in role and also location. I spent a lot of time on parental leave, unpacking what I believed I was good at versus not so strong at, what I enjoyed in roles versus what I didn’t enjoy so much, and I also asked around to see what feedback others had to offer me. I took this information along with my knowledge of the business, and worked up ideas of where I felt my skill sets could add value and what departments I thought would suit me and the business. I condensed this information into a PowerPoint and pitched this to the business at various stages, both before I went on maternity leave and whilst I was on maternity leave. As I note in a later question, it’s your career, no one cares as much about it as you do, so be prepared and invest time into it, at all stages of life.As part of the above process, I recognised it would be advantageous for my development and that it may open up more opportunities if I undertook further study in Project Management and Change Management. It was challenging, studying and looking after a baby, but I got there in the end! Also whilst on parental leave, I utilised some Keeping In Touch days (look them up if you don’t know what they are and the conditions surrounding them), and I still had email access, so I could keep on top of what was going on in the business, as and when I wanted to, which was very helpful.

Part 4 - Mothering & Working

My company at the time, AngloGold Ashanti listened to where I believed I could add value to the business and listened to what hours and work location I could commit to. They too had some ideas about where they thought my skill sets could be advantageous, which was great. I started back at work mid-2022, in a part-time role (3 days per week) in the People and Capability team, working as a People and Capability Specialist in the Perth office. My son went to daycare for these three days.

The role focused on developing, delivering and supporting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategies, policies and ways of working across the Australasian business units. One of the projects I was involved with was how to attract, recruit, develop and retain women within the business, as mining doesn’t have that many women working in it, particularly not in mid-level and above technical roles and trade roles. It was great that the company saw that my experience working in mine operations could add value to the P&C team.

Now in the UK, I am with Central Alliance, part of the RSK Group. Central Alliance are another great company, one that understands and offers flexibility and autonomy. During my interviews, I was very clear about my personal situation – that I am a single mother, which means that some of my start and finish times will have to work around my son’s nursery hours (however, I outlined how I would pick up the hours either on my day off or in the evening), and that I was after a part time role, working 3-4 days/week because I still want quality time with my little boy. In the interviews I detailed where I believe my strengths sit and what work I enjoy undertaking. Richard and Craig, the two Managing Directors were great, the level of flexibility I need worked for them and the business, plus I have skills they were looking for, so I commenced my role in January this year.

My role is Associate Director, in the Technical Services division, reporting to one of the MDs. I work 4 days a week, some days in the office, some days from home, with varied start/finish times. I’ve only been with the company a month, but already I feel very welcomed and settled. I have recently joined the RSK Group Women’s Network, which is great.

My role here at Central Alliance entails helping to project manage many of the projects in the Technical Services group and also the Applied Technologies division. It utilises many of my skill sets and also is developing me in new areas.

Have you overcome any barriers?

It has been very difficult from a professional point of view, transitioning from Australia back to the UK. I have found sourcing a role that works for me and my personal situation difficult for two main reasons:

1. I am a single mother, who absolutely needs flexibility in my role. Flexibility in terms of days I can/cannot work, varied start and finish times, location of work etc.

2. Mining in the UK isn’t at all comparable in terms of scale, number of job opportunities and salary.

Many roles that I have seen advertised (and in some cases applied for) in the UK, that have aligned with my skill sets, have been full time, with no/little flexibility on start/end times and no flexibility in terms of working less than 40 hours per week. Many have involved extensive travel, some on call at night, some shift work patterns (in mine/quarry operations) and one was ruled out, due to lacking safety standards that were important to me. So, many hurdles have been faced, definitely exacerbated by the fact I am a mother with commitments related to raising my son.

Another point to make which has, at times, required challenging the mindsets of others - leading teams well is a skill, one which is often overlooked at being a ‘soft skill’, easy to do and is therefore an after thought for some. My experience shows that providing your team with context and purpose at work, giving them some of your time to discuss what’s important to them, and being a proactive leader adds so much value, in terms of increasing productivity, improving safety, retention rates and team culture.

What is the highlight of your career?

Many highlights along the way, with highlights at the different levels I have worked at.

At a junior level, working on a drilling program in the middle of a salt lake which required reaching the site via a helicopter was a standout. Later on in my career, being promoted into the Management team at my previous company, after starting out 11 years earlier as a graduate was a major highlight for me.

As I understand it, I was the first female manager in an on-site operational role since the mine began 20 years previous. A proud moment for me, but obviously, on the flip side, raises the question as to why there had not been other women in operational, on site roles. It wasn’t that there had been no women capable of being a manager in operations. Much of it was due to many women choosing to start a family before they reached management level.

One of the reasons I reached management level on site was because I consciously delayed trying for a family, then when I did try, there were many years of failure. Like many other women in the industry, I delayed trying for a family because I could not see any mothers to young families returning to roles on site. You also didn’t see many women returning to high level roles within geology in the city either, so this was, and still is for many, an issue. An issue that I feel businesses in STEM globally are becoming more aware of, aware of the negative impact this has on the business and the negative impact this also has on women and family units. Data shows that businesses which have a more diverse workforce, and in this case, with regards to gender diversity, are more profitable. So it makes business sense to invest in diversity and explore options of flexibility within the workforce.

Any advice for aspiring women wanting to get into STEM?

To girls and women - connect and chat with people, it’s often who you know that gets you a foot in the door, an interview, the name of someone you can chase up on LinkedIn for a coffee and a chat. The way I have landed most of my jobs has been through talking to people, mentioning what I do and what I’m looking for, which has lead to interviews and job offers. Someone often knows someone else that works in a field you are looking for work in, or a promotion within.

Drive your own career progression, your own learning and development, networking etc., because nobody cares as much about it, knows as much about it, or is as invested in it than you are. My advice is don’t sit back and wait for opportunities to land in your lap, know what you would like, know what you are good at, where you can add value to businesses and speak to people, all people, as you never know who can help, as my above point. Make sure your manager and the talent team in your organisation know your 2 and 5 year work plan.

When looking at companies to apply to, look to see if you can find out what their views/policies are on items that matter to you / may matter to you in the future. Some examples may be parental leave, carers leave, flexibility, health and safety, ESG etc.

To organisations - there is a systemic issue whereby many women are leaving STEM roles / not reaching high level STEM roles because organisations do not cater for their changing life circumstances. Not all, but many women, start families and are the primary parent. Also, a disproportionately higher percentage of women fall in to other caring roles, such as caring for an unwell partner, or older family member. These additional responsibilities correspond largely to an age where women are in their mid-careers, where they are chasing the next step up into senior / executive roles. If flexibility isn’t considered on a case-by-case basis for women, many women have no option but to leave and look for work elsewhere, where flexibility is offered. Sadly, we see many women exiting STEM career pathways at this point in their career. Of course, this impacts not just women, all genders want flexibility at some stage in their professional lives.

?Yes, there are hurdles along the way, but when in life aren’t there?! All professions have their pros and cons. My experience within the STEM profession has been, and continues to be, a very positive one. Be confident in your abilities, be true to your values and enjoy the journey!