Driven by her passion to empower her team, Marie Bourgoin says her role as General Manager means it’s her responsibility to make sure she and her team create the right working environment to drive the health, safety, culture and productivity outcomes of BHP’s Newman Operations.

Marie’s goal is for everyone to understand what role they play, and to know that those around them have an important role to play as well.

“I’m just one small part of a very large team whose job is to ensure we safely load the right amount of iron ore at the right time, with the right quality, when the trains arrive into our mine,” Marie said.

“I want my team to have a sense of purpose when coming to work, a sense of accomplishment when leaving work, some fun whilst at work and the right support.”

“If we do that successfully, imagine the difference we can make to our teams, our community, our stakeholders and our shareholders!”

A new resident to Newman, Marie loves the simplicity of the Pilbara and how it allows her to spend more time with her young family.

“When I am not working, I love to spend time with my husband and my three children,” Marie said.

“We love having BBQs, having movie nights or getting out on the UTV! We can’t wait to explore this huge backyard of the Pilbara and see all the beautiful sights.

More about Marie:

What do you love about your job?

I love working with people. It gives me a buzz to come to work every day as well as getting involved in the community and meeting different people, all with their own stories, their own diversity of thought and their uniqueness.

What career advice would you give to people wanting to get into resources/mining?

Have a go, it’s an awesome industry! There are so many different roles that are needed to make up a mine site. Working for BHP is not just a job, it’s a career.  Our teams are made up of people with different backgrounds, cultures and experiences and we value this diversity. You don’t always need to be a miner with years of experience!

Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you?

My family is very multi-cultural, we all hold different passports. My husband is Singaporean, my children are Australian and I am French born, Australian at heart. I got stopped at airport border security once having to prove the child I was travelling with was my own child! One of the reasons why I am so passionate about being inclusive of everyone’s background and story…

What do you love most about the Pilbara?

The fact that I can never be more than five minutes late everywhere I go, given everything is so close by! Which for me is a big advantage given I am not known for punctuality. I also love the simplicity of the outback lifestyle and how much more time I get to spend with my family.  The other thing I love about the Pilbara is the people, who are so welcoming and friendly.

Favourite song?

My old time favourite is Enya (any song) but I also love listening to any type of music (country, pop music, R&B etc.).

Favourite movie?

I would have to say ‘The Green Mile’.

Dream car?

When I was younger, I would have said a convertible (any brand, any car, as long as it was a convertible). Now I must say I stopped dreaming about cars when my last baby was born and I started dreaming about how I was going to fit them all in my Nissan Dualis!

Favourite meal?

I am French so will have to go with the traditional bakery delicacies, cheese, bread and not to forget snails… but most of all I absolutely love crepes, with any filling!

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