Mentorship

As one of Nicola’s mentees, I’ve been deeply inspired not only by her knowledge but by the way she empowers me to believe in myself. Nicola listens with genuine intention, encourages growth, and somehow pushes me forward — often without me even realising it! Most inspirational is how she continues to make such a meaningful impact, even while managing so much herself. Her strength, generosity, and leadership are what make her such an inspiring mentor.

Mangai is an exceptional mentor who leads with empathy, insight, and encouragement. She creates a safe space for growth, guides with wisdom, and inspires confidence in everyone she supports. Her impact goes beyond advice—she empowers transformation. I proudly nominate her for this recognition.

Amy has found an inner strength and courage to stand up for her principles and values, keeping conversations with clients and teams real, honest and grounded. She holds the line, and her boundaries, even when it is easier to give way. When she disagrees with someone, she is not afraid to state her truth, and does so in a calm, respectful way to try find common ground and resolution. When many others go quite and accept the unacceptable behaviours or poor leadership often found in the business world, Amy refuses to do so. She calls it out, and is not afraid to do so, often knowing she stands alone.

For my current role, Anna has supported and assisted where needed to implement WHS from the grass roots up. Anna has inspired me deeply in my WHS journey—not just through her expertise, but through the way she leads with heart. From the moment I met her, I was struck by her calm confidence and her ability to make complex safety challenges feel manageable. She doesn’t just talk about safety—she lives it, and she brings people along with her in a way that’s inclusive, empowering, and real.

Her mentorship has meant more to me than she probably knows. She’s shown me how to navigate tough conversations with grace, how to advocate for others with integrity, and how to stay grounded even when the pressure is high. Anna’s belief in me gave me the courage to step up, speak out, and grow into my role with purpose.

What makes her truly inspiring is her generosity—she shares her knowledge freely, listens without judgment, and always makes time to support others. She’s a role model not just in WHS, but in leadership and mentorship. I’m incredibly grateful to have her in my corner.

Nicola strives to create a positive and safe work environment for all. She tackles any issues head on and has a wealth of Health and Safety knowledge.

I connected with Gina through the Women In Safety X McConnell Dowell Mentor Program purely by her opening line on her Mentorloop profile. It read the words 'an executive safety leader who is passionate about people, growth and empowerment'. What has continued over the 8 weeks has been weekly catch ups in a supportive, constructive and insightful environment. Gina has blended perfectly her empathy towards being an ambitious safety professional, a wife and a mum. There has been no outward judgement when I've had to put my children and 'adult life' over my career and an understanding of the different roles we as women hold. The support I've felt over the last 8 weeks has made a tremendous impact so I could only imagine how amazing it would be to be supported by her as a Leader.

Kirsten’s knowledge is not just technical or procedural—it’s insightful, strategic, and forward-thinking. She demonstrates how to approach complex challenges with clarity and creativity, which inspires you to push yourself and broaden your own skills.

Her openness about neurodiversity makes her even more inspiring. Instead of seeing it as a barrier, she models it as a strength: showing how different ways of thinking can bring innovation, empathy, and unique problem-solving approaches into safety and leadership. This has encouraged you to embrace diversity in thinking styles, both in yourself and in others, and to view it as an asset rather than a limitation.

As a new Health and Safety graduate Lisa has been my mentor. She has been gracious in sharing her experience and her journey in health safety.

Builds effective relationships with individuals within the organisation to contribute to the overall safety culture of the business. Highlights these individuals and supports them to grow in safety. For example, I was working as Physio Assistant in one of our nursing homes, and Naomi realised my potential and added me to the safety team. I have since studied by Cert 4 in WHS and am an advisor.

From the first moment I connected with Nicola through the mentorship program she has shown up with a huge amount of support and guidance. We kicked off weeks before the program officially started and she has provided me with an incredible amount of meaningful suggestions to meet my goals. Some highlights include: starting a "Confidence Folder" to save messages / emails / comments from friends, family and clients that I can look back on when I'm doubting myself; thinking how I can break study down into smaller chunks so I can better identify which areas I want to further develop; and showing genuine excitement for ideas I've come up with to embrace and improve technology solutions in the safety industry, which in turn has made me feel more excited and confident to explore these areas. Nicola has used her experience and knowledge to help me think of different approaches to challenges and has shared resources with me to give me ideas on how I can improve my own service offerings. It's been an absolute joy being mentored by her and I'm always excited for our weekly catch ups so I can update her with what I've been doing to reach my goals.

Peta is the strongest and kindest person I know. Every conversation with her inspires me to be more like her. There is not a specific moment when I felt like Oh, she's amazing but as I got to know her gradually, I realised how amazing she is. The efforts she put in to look after the people she cares about is really heart touching.

Nicola inspires me because she leads with authenticity, clarity, and a strategic mindset that elevates those around her. Her mentorship has been instrumental in helping me refine not just what I do, but how I think—especially when it comes to leadership. She listens with intention, shares her experiences generously, and encourages me to approach challenges with both empathy and precision. Our mentoring relationship is built on accountability and mutual commitment—we both have homework each week, and she always remembers what we discussed, which keeps me focused and motivated. Since we began working together in June 2025, I’ve become more confident in aligning my work with long-term impact, making decisions that are both values-driven and strategically sound. Nicola doesn’t just guide—she empowers. Her influence is already shaping how I lead, communicate, and contribute with purpose. I’m grateful for every session, and I carry her insights into every step of my professional journey.

Dedicated support in managing injures worker’s recovery. Her approach ensures workers recieve the care, guidance and follow up needed for a safe and full return to work

Lisa was the Health and Safety Coordinator at Dragados Canada during my co-op as a Junior Project Coordinator on the bidding team. She made the onboarding process smooth and welcoming and was always approachable and available to support team members across the office.

During my time at Dragados, I joined the Joint Health and Safety Committee, and I saw firsthand how passionate and committed Lisa is to creating a safe and inclusive work environment. She actively encourages women to take up space in engineering and construction, and her strong knowledge of COR and the Green Book (Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations) is evident in everything she does.

Lisa also took the lead in organizing health and safety trainings and team events, which brought great value to the workplace culture.

Katrina's dedication to making a tangible difference in the wellbeing industry inspires me (and others) to approach work with the same level of commitment and care

Renee is a very inspiring mentor by her passion, knowledge and experience in Health and Safety. Renee also has a way of imparting her knowledge in a well thought out and considered delivery, ensuring the message and impact is received.