“Nicole epitomises the very best of our industry and is a consistently excellent performer within our business and the wider coal sector in Australia”, said Ian Cribb, Chief Operating Officer of Glencore’s Australian coal business.

“This award recognises the role Nicole has played in championing and mentoring many men and women as they have developed their skills and expertise and also her promotion of the industry to scores of undergraduates and students considering their future choice of career.

Nicole is an outstanding role model for women in the industry driven by high performance and an unrelenting desire for excellence which is what counts in this business.”

Nicole has worked in the Australian resources sector for nearly 25 years, commencing at Port Kembla Coke and Coal as a Mining Engineer graduate in 1994.

She joined Xstrata Coal NSW in 2003 as Business Development Manager and just four years later was promoted to Group Manager, Business Development and Technical Services in New South Wales.

In 2013, Nicole was appointed as the Group Manager of Business Development and Technical Services for all of Glencore’s coal assets in Australia, which comprise 17 operating sites and last year contributed almost $6 billion to the NSW, Queensland and national economies.

Nicole leads a team of 50 technical and commercial personnel.

Based in the Hunter Valley, her key responsibilities include identifying and delivering concept and pre-feasibility projects, identifying resource growth opportunities (including acquisitions), evaluating life of mine plans and formulating divisional strategies.

She is also responsible for driving technical optimisation and managing technical risk across every Glencore operating site and providing project management for site sustaining capital projects.