A name synonymous with strong women in business, Sandra Harris has proved with almost a-decade stronghold in the mining industry, that being female and hailing from a regional city is no barrier to remarkable success.
As corporate services director of All West Engineering and Maddison Wright Engineering, Sandra and her business partner Paul Harris had a lightbulb moment in 2009 which quickly grew to become a Goulburn Valley success story of epic proportions.
Paul Harris identified a gap in the mining industry and together they began a journey whereby they matched high skilled workers from the Goulburn Valley with positions in Western Australia’s mining regions, creating life-changing opportunities for their employees and impressing the mining industry with such a high calibre of tradespeople. Sandra and Paul later created a strategic partnership with Heath Wright and
Conor Egan forming Maddison Wright Engineering and Proform Industrial setting up Engineering Workshops across Victoria.
“We have grown from having just five employees to over 250, across four states. We may not have started with a distinct strategy, but we have flourished thanks to our drive, passion and vision shared by all partners,” said Sandra.
“Our team is made up of people with different strengths and niche skillsets, but we work collaboratively and so well together to encompass our organisation’s core values.”
Sandra may be the only woman in a leadership team of mostly men, but that is a non-issue.
“There’s been a big shift towards women in business and as leaders in recent years. I think the media has played a key role in this, women are being recognised for perhaps the different dynamic in leadership they bring to the table and it’s becoming apparent that equality across the board is in every organisation’s best interest,” Sandra said.
Sandra now heads a group of 6 companies with business interests in the mining, engineering, and tech spaces. She works daily with a dynamic group of business partners.
“I have been fortunate enough in my business partnerships to work with an incredibly talented and inspiring group of entrepreneurs, that all support and value each other’s dynamics.”
As the groups ventures continue to grow, Sandra has a key message for everyone in business, whether they are finding their growth to be stagnant or are just starting out.
“My message to anyone scaling their business, small or large, is to be transparent with your team. Especially internally, as it builds trust and increases engagement. When you have an engaged and dynamic team, they are content and the results of that is efficiency and a desire to achieve greater outcomes.”
