Shining a spotlight on those making a difference at Wood is an important part of our inspired culture. We are all about motivating our teams to be the best they can be, recognising the expertise, capabilities, and positive energy they bring to work every single day.
Meet Gail Milne, a project services and quality manager in our Minerals and Metals (M&M) team. Gail is based in Perth, Western Australia and has been with Wood for almost two years. With a background in finance, commercial and project controls Gail moved into project management around 10 years ago. Together with her family, she relocated from Scotland, UK, to Australia in 2007. Gail is passionate about gender equity in business, especially around supporting females into STEM-based roles and is also co-chair of Wood’s Equal Footing employee network in Asia Pacific (APAC).
Working at Wood has presented some fantastic opportunities to develop and grow. I was initially brought on as a project services manager on a FEED project (Front-End Engineering and Design) however, as the scope concluded the timing was right to move into the functional manager position. With a team of around 25 people covering project controls and document control, I am kept busy, but I enjoy aspects of business improvement and felt able to take on the quality manager role in tandem.
I’ve also spent time as a QHSE consultant with a focus on change management. I believe that everyone is responsible for QHSE and this belief fits in well with my current roles.
Although a change from subsea and offshore projects, I am really enjoying working in M&M, and as one of Wood’s emerging markets, it is an exciting place to be. As a functional manager, I work across all team projects and find it interesting to learn about the feasibility studies and how this is managed for clients in M&M.
I enjoy the fact that I have a large team to nurture and grow and I thrive on developing strong teams to support the business. Being able to provide input to the M&M Australia Business Unit plans to support our strategy pillars means that I am able to directly influence and help Wood work towards achieving our goals. All three of the pillars – inspired culture, performance excellence and profitable growth - resonate with me.
In 2018 during a career break, I really felt a pull towards championing gender equity in business. I am an advocate across industry for Diversity & Inclusion and for more women in leadership roles. This involves supporting Wood’s gender goal, to have more women working in different areas and at all levels, but especially in leadership.
As a volunteer across several areas such as mentoring and sponsoring colleagues, I am also on the Board of a Not-For-Profit (NFP) charity called 100 Women. Member donations provide grants for NFPs’ that support women and girls, both in Australia and internationally. I want to help make it an equal playing field for all and that also includes supporting men in flexible work and parental leave, making it normal for everyone.
I continue to drive improved employee engagement in my team, as well as diversity of thought, safety, ethics and compliance. I am also a performance excellence champion and where possible, I’m always looking to drive change and improvement in the business as much as I can.
I am at a point in my career where, for the last five years, I have been using my time to support and develop others in what they want to do, at the same time, building a great team to support the requirements of the business. I’m lucky that I get to do that as part of my role.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, and I have a new grandson which is fantastic. If I do get a bit of spare time, I like a good jigsaw and reading.
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