It was during his time as a production driller that Nigel recognised the career path he truly wanted to pursue – leading crews, developing people and bringing out the best in teams. After spending close to 12 months shift bossing, he was given the opportunity to step into a foreman role overseeing a small section of a large mine. The role required focused leadership and accountability to deliver improved outcomes, and it became a pivotal step in his career.
From there, Nigel’s experience expanded across major mining operations both in Australia and internationally, eventually progressing into project management roles.
Nigel credits his time underground for shaping the leader he is today. “Underground mining teaches you resilience and strength,” he says. “You learn quickly that plans don’t always work, and you need the strength to make the right decisions when things change.”
Having worked across the majority of underground roles, Nigel believes he has a strong understanding of the pressures and frustrations workers face. This experience allows him to relate to crews, guide them through challenges and support them with practical solutions.
One of Nigel’s proudest achievements was leading the team responsible for delivering the Gwalia project – one of the deepest and hottest underground mines in the Southern Hemisphere – while achieving a zero TRIFR safety record upon completion. Nigel credits this success to the commitment, professionalism and teamwork demonstrated across the entire workforce. For him, the achievement reinforced the importance of strong leadership, clear communication and maintaining a safety-first culture.
His leadership style has also been heavily influenced by observing leaders throughout his career -both good and bad. “Seeing what leaders have done in the past, and what didn’t sit well, shaped me into the leader I am today,” he explains. “I’ve tried to learn from mistakes and missed opportunities, and turn those lessons into strengths.”
Nigel describes his leadership approach as leading from the front. Drawing on his operational experience and mine rescue background, safety remains central to his daily planning and decision-making. “Making sure tasks are completed correctly, so everyone comes out of the underground environment safely, is always the priority.”
While Nigel empowers his teams to manage day-to-day operations, he places strong emphasis on mentoring and coaching emerging leaders. He often observes meetings and operations from the background, providing guidance and feedback afterwards to help individuals build confidence and capability.
Upcoming leaders need the right environment to learn and make mistakes without open criticism. That’s where one-on-one coaching and mentoring become important.”
A piece of advice from a former mentor has stayed with Nigel throughout his career: “The success of a good leader can be seen in the leaders they produce.”
Nigel says consistency, communication and visibility are key to earning trust and building strong teams. He believes in having regular one-on-one conversations and adapting his communication style to suit the individual and the situation.
“I generally don’t raise my voice,” he says. “But the way you deliver a message should match the importance of the situation.”
Being visible and approachable throughout the day, both on surface and underground – is something Nigel sees as essential. He also believes leaders must remain calm and clear-headed during difficult situations to achieve the best outcomes for both the business and their people.
To get the best from his teams, Nigel focuses on clear communication, setting expectations at the beginning of each shift and reviewing outcomes at the end of the day to ensure operational success across the full 24-hour cycle.
“Trust is critical,” he says. “You need to trust your people to make the right calls, and they need to have confidence in themselves to justify their decisions.”
For those aspiring to move into leadership roles, Nigel’s advice is simple: stay open to learning and seek out strong mentors.
Take on all advice – there’s always something valuable you can learn,” he says. “Find the type of leader you want to become and ask that person to mentor you. More often than not, they’ll say yes.”
Above all, Nigel believes effective leadership comes down to understanding people.
“Don’t be judgemental,” he says. “Everyone has a purpose. Quite often, as a leader, you just need to find out what they’re good at.”
