22 NOVEMBER 2022
Their passion for inclusion and diversity and empowering others in the mining sector has led Talar Anjer Koushian and Danielle Kyle to be selected for the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining (WIM100).
Their passion for inclusion and diversity and empowering others in the mining sector has led Talar Anjer Koushian and Danielle Kyle to be selected for the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining (WIM100).
Both Talar and Danielle feature in the 2022 WIM100 publication, which tells the stories of 100 women who were selected from a pool of more than 900 nominations from around the world. They were chosen for their perseverance in the face of adversity and positive contributions to the mining sector.
Let’s meet these incredible women, hear their stories and find out why they’ve been selected.
Talar
At the age of just 24, Talar and her sister Rita escaped war in their home of Syria, fleeing for Lebanon. It took a harrowing three-year journey to get there, then an agonising wait for a humanitarian visa to enter Australia. Despite this, fear has never defined Talar, and she has not only beaten the odds but overcome them and thrived, joining South32 as the first female participant in our pilot Refugee Talent Program. Now, Talar is an Improvement Specialist in our Technical function, and shares her story and culture with others to inspire and encourage inclusion and diversity in our business.
Danielle
Raised by a single mother on a remote island off the northwest coast of Queensland, Australia, Danielle has risen from humble beginnings to build a successful career at South32. Commencing as an administration contractor at the Cannington mine in 2007, Danielle was one of few Aboriginal employees at the operation and initially felt out of place but took this as an opportunity to change things. Now an Indigenous Liaison Officer, Danielle has established the successful Indigenous Work Experience Program and Indigenous Networking Group to increase participation of First Nations people and become a strong advocate for their employment at South32 and in the mining sector.
Meet Talar and Danielle in the video, here.
Claudia Rodríguez and Tijana LaBianca who were featured in the 2020 edition, will this year join the 2022 launch celebrations in London after Covid-19 led to the 2020 event being cancelled.
Read more about Claudia and Tijana, below.
Claudia
Claudia began her South32 journey in 2002 and is the Crisis and Emergency Leader at Cerro Matoso in Colombia. Her passion for our industry and for service to others is evident in how she goes about this incredibly important role, and in her free time, she works to create better living conditions and to preserve the culture of Colombia's Indigenous Embera Katio people. Claudia’s aim has always been both to champion responsible mining and educate people about the positive developments it can bring to communities.
Tijana
Group Manager Innovation and Analytics, Tijana is based in Perth, Australia. Born in Serbia in 1995 during the civil war, Tijana and her family moved to New Zealand and then to Australia three years later. Tijana spoke little English when she arrived and went on to live in 23 houses and attend six different schools. She says this experience has made her the person she is today – someone who is 'comfortable being uncomfortable' - and now feels joy and accomplishment when helping others navigate times of uncertainty.
Well done to our South32 WIM100 participants!
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