Now in its 12th year, the Women in Mining (WIMnet) NSW award-winning mentoring program has kicked off with 71 mentoring pairs meeting at the launch event, finding out who they will be learning from, mentored by, and gaining knowledge from.
The WIMnet mentoring program has proven to be incredibly successful each and every year, with hundreds of applicants vying for a spot.
Breony Benson, one of the co-Leads of the program and the Human Resources Manager at Glencore Coal’s United Wambo Joint Venture, said everyone who takes part in the program, mentor or mentee, always come out the other side gaining more confidence than they ever thought was possible.
“At the program close event each year, we ask for three mentee volunteers to share their experience with everyone. In their speech, most mentees say they started the program with little confidence and a fear of public speaking. To see them step up eight months later in front of their peers and senior industry leaders with such confidence is amazing to see.
“The mentors get just as much of a positive experience from participating in the program as the mentees,” said Breony.
Tamara Robinson is Breony’s fellow co-Lead and said the program has been so popular because everyone hears what participants get out of it.
We didn’t just take Breony and Tamara’s word for it, we caught up with some of the mentors and mentees from the 2026 cohort.
Youyou Lyu, Manager Marketing at Whitehaven, relocated from Singapore to Australia and is a mentee paired with Stef Loader, Chairperson of Port Waratah.
“I wanted to challenge myself outside my comfort zone, gain broader perspectives, and continue growing both professionally and personally.
“I had my first conversation with Stef at the launch event and connected straight away. I’m looking forward to building a meaningful mentoring relationship and learning from both her professional experience and leadership journey.
“I hope this mentoring journey will help me become a more rounded and strategic leader. I’d like to further develop areas such as stakeholder engagement, executive presence, strategic thinking and navigating leadership in a cross-cultural environment,” she said.
Ashleigh Burns, Site Accountant with Idemitsu Australia at Boggabri Coal, said she is looking forward to challenging herself.
“After 3–4 years in the mining industry, I saw this as the right time to challenge myself.
“I’m looking forward to gaining guidance on career development and leadership as I progress through the next stage of my professional journey. Most importantly, I hope to challenge my thinking, build meaningful connections across the industry, and learn from others’ experiences to support my future career growth,” Ashleigh said.
This year will be Daniel Williscroft’s third year as a mentor. The Deputy General Manager at Idemitsu’s Boggabri Coal, said he gains as much, if not more, than his mentees.
“It challenges me to consider different perspectives and approaches beyond my usual way of thinking. The mining industry is supported by many highly capable women, and there is significant value in sharing experiences and achieving those moments of mutual understanding and breakthrough together.”
Michelle Douglass, the Hunter Valley Operations Human Resources Manager agreed that she keeps coming back for what she gets out of it, and what she can pass on to her mentees.
“I get a lot of fulfilment from helping someone grow and succeed, and it’s also a great opportunity to reflect on my own experience and keep developing my leadership and communication skills. Mentoring has also made my own work feel more meaningful and purpose-driven.
“I have two daughters, and it’s important to me to help ensure our industry is recognised for supporting career progression and creating opportunities for future female employees.”
Breony and Tamara said what they’re able to put together wouldn’t be possible without sponsors including Whitehaven, Thiess, Glencore, MACH Energy and Idemitsu, Yancoal and Port Waratah, Evolution mining, Newmont, Hunter Valley Operations and AMEC and EY and BDO.
