WOODSIDE ENERGY

Melinda Clarke’s success in the WA mining and resources sector is testament to her perseverance and resilience. Having left school in NSW in Year 12, she initially sold popcorn at a stall to make ends meet and even after moving to the Pilbara and starting an apprenticeship she endured tough times, sleeping in her car or couch surfing. But a post-apprenticeship role at the Karratha Gas Plant presented an opportunity that she has embraced and run with.

Melinda met her future wife in Karratha and established a career as a mechanical fitter, before tackling a new challenge working in an office as a maintenance planner while undergoing IVF to conceive the couple’s second child.

A business improvement role after parental leave morphed into a brand-new position as a Campaign Maintenance Team Leader and, for the past two years, Melinda has been an integral part of Woodside Energy’s Accelerator innovation incubator – a job which in part involves teaching a computer to “think like a human.” Throughout it all, Melinda has been a champion for female operational opportunities and LGBTIQA+ inclusion at Woodside, helping mentor apprentices while also being an active contributor to the Karratha sporting community before moving to Perth in 2022.