Bobbie Foot: United Nations Speaker. Top 100 Women in Mining.
As General Manager Infrastructure & Services, BMA, I lead a large geographically spread operational team to deliver accommodation, transport and utilities to a workforce of 8500 people and associated communities in a tier one resources company for improved organisational culture, safety and productivity. I’m also a United Nations Taskforce Chair and UN Speaker.
Co-leading the Transition to Regenerative Economies
In 2020 I was honoured to be awarded as a WIM100, one of the world’s top 100 women in mining
Today I am Chair of the Just Transitions Taskforce within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane and Just Transitions; and am also a member of the UNECE Group of Experts on Cleaner Electricity Systems; and am a Director of the University of Qld Sustainable Minerals Institute Advisory Board.
I’ve spoken multiple times at the United Nations and I have over 20 years’ experience in the resources sector, in leadership and technical roles that specialise in health, safety, environment, risk and crisis management.
My dedication to empowering people and creating large scale sustainable impact was seeded from a very young age. I grew up in a large farming family, in one of the four poorest postcodes in rural Queensland. I was fortunate to have dedicated parents who instilled in me a set of abiding principles that catalysed my drive to do everything I can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people and the environment and develop a ‘culture of care’.
Speaking: Future-Focused, Informative, Engaging
I’m regularly invited to share expertise honed from working in complex, risk-intensive environments, in a wide range of forms to a variety of audiences.
Whether it’s for the United Nations, a government panel, the media or a community event, my focus is always on collaborative, innovative approaches to create Social Value, whilst solving large-scale challenges that impact communities, the environment and enterprises.
My dedication to conveying what I’ve learnt through creating a culture of care to enable outcomes across complex environments is distilled into three main topics: Psychological Safety: Setting the Foundation for a Speak Up Culture: best practices in creating team environments where people feel belonging and feel safe to speak up; Just Transitions: navigating mining transitions in response to climate change and other challenges; and The Impact of Mine Closure on Women and Girls: ensuring that diverse perspectives and impacts are integrated in mine closure planning through a Social Value approach.
Speaking Engagements & Speaking Topics
World Mining Congress, Brisbane, 2023
Wed 28 June 2023
I co-presented a session at the World Mining Congress with Naomi Armitage, Humanology Group.
United Nations, Geneva, 2022 and 2024
21-23 September 2022
18-19 March 2024
I spoke about the need to collaborate with all stakeholders
to co-design the post-mining community transition and
regional development.
United Nations, Geneva, 2019
8 November 2019
I spoke about the need for collaborative planning to mitigate the impacts of mine closures on women and girls.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Queensland Mining Expo
23 – 25 July 2024
Panel Chair
Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing: Fostering a Culture of Inclusion and Support
This panel discussion explores the key drivers involving wellness, health and safety. It includes integrating human resources with mental health initiatives to nurture a supportive work environment; enhanced safety, a focus on improving miner well-being and more.
Psychological Safety: Setting the Foundation for a Speak Up Culture
Workplace teams with high levels of psychological safety create a space where all individuals feel safe to speak up, discuss ideas, contribute their thoughts, give candid feedback, report incidents or faults and admit fallibility without fear of reprisal from colleagues or superiors.
Yet low levels of psychological safety in teams can create a culture of silence – an environment in which speaking up is
belittled and warnings are ignored. How then do enterprises create increased speak up environments and reporting behaviours – to ensure safety and also foster growth and innovation?
Co-presented with Naomi Armitage, Director, Humanology, at the World Mining Congress, Brisbane, June 2023.
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