Do you wonder what all the fuss is about mentoring? Have you heard that anyone who wants to progress their career needs at least one mentor, ideally more? Are you stuck in your career and not sure how to get the support you need to see changes and progress? Unsure what the benefits of having a mentor and/or sponsor are and the difference between the two?

Join us to hear from successful women who have experienced the benefits of having mentors and sponsors before becoming experienced mentors and sponsors themselves. Our panel of speakers are well known for their amazing careers and involvement in mentoring and sponsoring and assisting others to become successful too.

The differences between mentoring and sponsoring will be discussed, highlighting how these relationships can enhance your professional development in different ways. A mentor may give you career advice on a work opportunity; however a sponsor can give you that work opportunity.

‘Mentors talk to you, sponsors talk about you’.

Sarah Withell

Executive General Manager HSE, Whitehaven Coal

Sarah has built a distinguished career in the mining industry since starting out as an environmental scientist working in a remote ‘fly in fly out’ operation in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Sarah was the first female Head of Health, Safety and Environment for BHPs NSW Energy Coal Asset. She is now the Executive General Manager for Health, Safety and Environment at Whitehaven Coal.

She was winner of the Exceptional Woman in NSW Mining in 2019 and the Women In Industry Award - Excellence in Mining in 2020 and also chairs the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue.

Sarah balances her rewarding career with being a mother to three children.

Kirsten Molloy

Non Executive Director, NRMA

Kirsten's career has spanned more than twenty years in the mining, infrastructure, logistics and supply chain industries,. Her career spans technical roles, commercial and strategy roles and general management, with a significant period at Orica, which included global and Australia Asia focussed roles.

Kirsten also has extensive experience as a non-executive Director across a range of industries, sitting on the Boards of the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the Regional Development Australia (RDA) Hunter and water focussed engineering consultancy Hunter H2O.

Kirsten is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has led the Equal Futures Project in the Hunter to raise awareness and funds to support improved outcomes for marginalised groups. She founded Verity Leadership to try to ensure the leadership population moves to reflect the actual diversity of society.