Isabella has spent the past five years working in the Australian mining and resources sector, primarily across operations and contract‑related roles. She began her career in the mobilisation space, supporting the rapid deployment of emergency services personnel to remote sites around Australia. This early experience helped Isabella develop strong organisational skills and an appreciation for teamwork and clear communication in time‑critical environments.
From there, Isabella moved into roles supporting and managing Tier 1 contracts, before taking on an Operations role within the business. These opportunities allowed her to build a broader understanding of how projects, people, and commercial arrangements come together across the resources industry. In 2024, Isabella recognised the value of learning from others and expanding her industry connections, which led her to join the WA Mining Club Emerging Professionals. Becoming involved with the WA Mining Club was a defining experience for Isabella as it allowed her to build confidence in professional networking, which enabled her to form meaningful connections across the industry.
Proposer: Isabella Pustkuchen
Seconder: Shannon Coyne
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2024
Find out more about what Isabella can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
Brandon Gibbs is a commercial and operational professional with experience across engineering services, asset management, and the mining sector. He currently serves as General Manager at Thermal Engineering, where he is responsible for leading strategic growth, overseeing day-to-day operations, and driving commercial performance across the business.
Brandon’s experience is strongly rooted in mining sector capital and maintenance projects, having progressed from Mechanical Engineer to Project Engineer, Project Manager, and now General Manager. His background includes specialist HVAC-R and electrical works, as well as experience operating within an OEM environment. This progression has provided him with a well-rounded perspective across the full project lifecycle, from technical design and execution through to commercial delivery and operational leadership.
He brings a practical, commercially focused approach to leadership, combining technical expertise with financial and contractual acumen. Brandon has experience managing complex projects, structuring agreements, mitigating risk, and aligning stakeholder interests in fast-paced, high-demand environments. He was also selected to participate in the WA Mining Club Emerging Leaders Program, recognising his leadership potential within the resources sector.
Proposer: Brandon Gibbs
Seconder: James Grosser
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2023
Find out more about what Brandon can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
Alaxandrea is currently a third year undergraduate engineering student at UWA, majoring in environmental engineering she has a passion for land and water management, layered project design and community impact within the resources sector. Being a regional student growing up between the Kimberelys and the Goldfields, she has constantly been impacted and inspired by the innovation the resources sector can bring for socioeconomic growth and prosperity.
Throughout her studies she has demonstrated this through various internships and placements, namely, a 6 month part-time Student Consultant role at Aurecon in 2025, working in environmental approvals and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, she has completed a full summer placement with Gold Fields in 2026, working in the Energy team under Operations support and Technology, gaining both in-office and on-site experience. As a previous scholarship winner, she has demonstrated significant involvement with the WAMC since 2022 winning while she was in year 11 to now in her third year of tertiary studies, and wishes to continue her involvement with the sector through the WAMC.
Proposer: Alaxandrea O’Brien
Seconder: Jordan Pedley
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2025
Find out more about what Alaxandrea can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
Olivia is an Account Manager and currently Acting Senior Manager at Gilligan Group, where she leads end-to-end marketing initiatives encompassing strategy, content, project delivery, and media for clients in the mining, energy, and industrial sectors. Olivia began her career with Access Group Australia, where she worked first as a marketing assistant and then as a marketing coordinator for a portfolio of over 35 brands. This role provided Olivia with early exposure to the operational and technical landscape of heavy industry and helped her establish a solid foundation in sector-led marketing.
Olivia proactively sought an opportunity with Gilligan Group, where she now manages key accounts. Notably, Olivia is Account Lead for SSH Group Ltd (ASX: SSH) wherein she oversees integrated marketing delivery across its ‘Hire | Mine | Own’ business model. This includes (but is not limited to) campaign strategy and execution, content writing and development, stakeholder management, as well as media strategy and execution. Olivia’s career experience has helped her adopt a proactive, commercially focused approach to both her work and her commitments outside of it. Olivia regularly attends networking events, including those hosted by the WA Mining Club, Henderson Alliance, and AAMEG, and prioritises delivering practical outcomes and fostering long-term value within the resources and related sectors.
Proposer: Olivia Williams
Seconder: Linda Peng
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2026
Find out more about what Olivia can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
Anika is a final year student at the University of Western Australia studying Mechanical Engineering and Management, and was fortunate enough to be selected as the WA Mining Club 2025 Mechanical or Electrical Engineering Scholarship winner. Anika’s current role is as a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Zenith Energy, and has had previous experience during her time at university within the resources sector through various intern and vacation programs across the industry. Anika have been able to work in multiple commodities from nickel to gold and copper, and has had the chance to work in maintenance and reliability teams on site with the operator through to project engineering on the contractor side. As Anika is completing her studies at the end of the year, she is looking to commence a role within the wider resources industry.
Whilst at university, Anika has been the President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers UWA Chapter and has served on the executive committee for 2 years and the committee for 3, additionally has been the Outreach Lead on the UWA Motorsport team and volunteered as a UniMentor and Girls in Engineering + Student Ambassador.
Proposer: Anika Paul
Seconder: Jasmin Bentink
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2025
Find out more about what Anika can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
Ashleigh is a corporate communications and investor relations consultant who has worked at specialist heavy industry, defence, mining and OGAS agency, Gilligan Group, for over six years. Her agency provides strategy/consulting, design and digital services primarily to these sectors and has a reputation for technical prowess. Whilst Ashleigh wears many hats within the business, most recently she has taken up the opportunity to assume Directorship at Gilligan Group, a natural next step for her that will see her actively co-lead the business, pursue opportunities and continue to represent our diverse clients.
Her expertise lies at the crossroads of creativity and strategy. Ashleigh adds value to mining and mining-adjacent businesses by helping them to effectively position and convey their offering: visually and verbally.
What Ashleigh has learnt working at an agency is that there are many, many touchpoints that feed into mining. From communicating on behalf of critical component manufacturers, to drilling companies out in the field with explorers unearthing the next wave of discoveries, the CRM companies ensuring assays at the labs have a representative sample to compare against, the finance companies assisting at points where capital needs to be raised, the engineers designing and building the next generation of mines and (let’s not forget) the miners themselves — these are just some of the many examples of exposure Ashleigh has gained in this extensive and complex industry.
Proposer: Ashleigh Baxter
Seconder: Linda Peng
Has been a WA Mining Club Member since 2024
Find out more about what Ashleigh can bring to the Emerging Professionals as a Committee Member
