I Belong: Alicia Jeffery Never Stands Still
Alicia Jeffery
Regional SHE Manager | Brisbane, Australia
10 July 2023
If there is one common thread to highlight in Alicia Jeffery’s career so far, it is her drive to never stand still.
In six years with Weir ESCO, the Regional SHE Manager has made her mark worldwide. She has established herself as a strong performer and inspiring safety leader in Brisbane, Australia.
She remembers when she got the call from ESCO with an offer to work with the safety teams in Mackay and Perth. “I then left for about 12 months due to my role being no longer required. I missed it so much that, when I got the opportunity to come back for a permanent position, I had to take it,” she said. Since returning to Weir ESCO, Alicia has worked her way from regional advisor to manager.
“I have found as I have grown professionally that you need to put your hands up for opportunities,” she added. “If you want to achieve and grow, volunteer! As a safety professional, get out and be heard. If you want to make a difference, be part of the change and gain support with allies by your side.”
As an early career safety professional after university, Alicia recalls facing the realities of industry work after joining a large mining and construction business in Australia. There, she learned to manage the grit and grind of large expansion projects alongside more experienced workers. Often the only female present, Alicia called the work challenging yet rewarding. She eventually became the site’s safety manager and was responsible for more than 1,000 people.
“I thought I knew everything at that point in my career, but my approach was counterproductive to our goals. ‘Here’s what you’re doing wrong’ became ‘How can I help you?’” she said. Refining her approach has helped hundreds of Weir ESCO workers adopt safer habits, including the Zero Harm Behaviors framework. Every site visit to South Africa, China, the U.K. and the U.S. is an opportunity to build safer, stronger teams.
Put your hands up for opportunities. … As a safety professional, get out and be heard. If you want to make a difference, be part of the change and gain support with allies.
And, her natural leadership and willingness to grow have led to company and industry recognition. Her team recently earned a Weir award for their innovative safety culture. In 2022, those contributions earned Alicia a “Safety Professional of the Year” nomination, given to the best and brightest professionals in her field by Australia’s Women in Safety. The nomination came from one of her biggest supporters at Weir ESCO.
Behind the award, Alicia says, is a lesson about growing your own way. In 2021, Alicia had her sights on a promotion: a safety management role with more responsibility. So, when a new regional manager director joined the ESCO division, Alicia took initiative.
“The first thing I asked was, ‘Hi, how are you?’” said Alicia, “and the second thing I asked was, ‘Can you help me become a manager?’”
She earned the promotion and is now the Regional SHE Manager looking after Australasia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East & Central Asia. “There’s a fine line between being ambitious without seeming overeager,” she added, “but I appreciate all of the allies and leaders in the region who have supported me, and the fact that I had the patience to undergo that process.”
Recently, she joined the region’s management team to host Weir Group’s Chair and Non-Executive Director in Perth. Alicia was pleased to highlight their local initiatives focused on employee health, wellbeing, safety, inclusion and diversity.
“Weir’s board reflects knowledgeable, fantastic, skilled women whose journeys have taken them to all different places, like mine,” said Alicia. Having started out in the mining and construction industry at 20 years old, Alicia hopes her experience inspires her colleagues to never stand still in their careers. “My advice for anyone starting out in the organization, and particularly for a safety professional, would be to build rapport,” she shared. “I have learned along the way that it is much easier to get things done, add value and work toward the same goals together.”
