Two top women working in and with the trucking industry were celebrated as part of the Women in Industry Award awarded with around 250 guests nominees, finalists and winners attending a gala presentation dinner in Melbourne.
The fourth annual awards night, hosted by The Project’s Gorgi Coghlan, recognised the achievements of women working within the commercial road transport, logistics, mining, engineering and manufacturing industries, and aims to raise the profile of women within industry, as well as promote and encourage excellence.
Among the award winners were:
Excellence in Road Transport, sponsored by NatRoad, went to Pam McMillan, Chair, Transport Women Australia.
Social Leader of the Year, sponsored by COG Advertising, was awarded to Beverly Williams, Industry Pathways and Placement Coordinator – Automotive Centre of Excellence, Bendigo Kangan Institute.
Winner of the Excellence in Engineering category, sponsored by Cummins, was Philippa Craft, Product Manager – Bulk Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen, Helium, BOC Limited.
“We would like to congratulate all attendees and finalists for joining us at this year’s Women in Industry Awards,” said event organiser, Lauren Winterbottom. “It was amazing to celebrate and promote the achievements of so many women in industry, and we hope to see you all next year.”
The fourth edition of the awards was complemented by the inaugural Women In Industry Conference, which took place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre earlier that day.
‘’NatRoad are proud to sponsor the Women in Industry awards to show our support for increasing and recognising diversity across industry. I would like to congratulate Pam McMillan, Chair, Transport Women Australia on winning the Excellence in Road Transport category,” said Warren Clark, NatRoad CEO.
Pam has been involved in road transport for most of her life and was invited to join the board of Transport Women Australia in 2000. She was the Transport Women representative on the Council of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) for seven years, is a JP, and has also been on the board of, and administrator for, the Australian Truck Drivers Memorial since 2005.
Pam was the winner of the National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year in 1999 and, along with husband Doug, was inducted to the Road Transport Hall of Fame at Alice Springs in 2005. She was a joint winner of the NatRoad 2013 Ted Pickering Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to The Road Freight Industry and their company was also the winner of the Global/NatRoad Awards for Excellence in 1998.
Beverly has worked for Bendigo Kangan Institute for approximately 25 years and her career highlights include working with youth and disengaged youth to support their educational outcomes, welfare referrals and transition to employment, working with industry to support student placements and transition to employment opportunities (including apprenticeships, traineeships and other job roles), providing excellence in customer service internally and externally, and ensuring streamlined and efficient campus administration co-ordination and practices were maintained.