Digging deeper with Central Asia Resourcesâ Angela Dent
NOT many women occupy board positions in the mining industry yet after a brief chat with Central Asia Resources executive director Angela Dent, reporter Wally Graham was left wondering why not.
Wally Graham: Iâll get the obvious question out of the way first. As a woman working in the mining industry, do you find that you have to work harder to prove yourself to your male counterparts?
Angela Dent: It depends on the situation. Most of the work I am involved in is because I already know people who have seen what I have achieved elsewhere.
For me, when I started in the industry or even now when I come across a new group of people, usually it doesnât take long to gain their respect because I am reasonably confident with what I do and I do know what I am doing.
WG: How did you first come to be working in the mining industry?
AD: I started working with Brian Johnson on Mount Gibson Iron. In fact I recently resigned as Mount Gibson Iron company secretary after eight-and-a-half years.
WG: For any particular reason?
AD: No, itâs just time to move on. Iâm a director now of Central Asia Resources and Envirogold and so trying to fit the day to day immediacy of company secretarial work around my directorial responsibilities, particularly as I am an executive director on Central Asia Resources, was just becoming harder and harder.
WG: How long have you been with Central Asia Resources?
AD: Since before they listed. I have pretty much been involved since the day they started looking at the project and I was involved in structuring the deal for the project.
WG: So how did you find your way into the mining industry?
AD: I am a chartered accountant. I started late, not graduating until I was 28. Then I had a break after a car accident, which meant I was unable to work for a while.
Then I just happened to get an accounting job that involved working with Brian Johnson, on a non-mining project initially, but he obviously liked what he saw in terms of the work I could do and said, âstick with me with this listingâ, and the rest is history.
WG: How do you describe your role to people?
AD: When I talk to people about what I do, I end up describing myself as having an accounting background but these days I am more in management and a corporate governance specialist.
WG: Do you enjoy mining?
AD: I love mining. It is an interesting industry in itself, but there are also a lot of interesting people who work in it. Thatâs what I really love about it as well as working for a company like Central Asia Resources that gives you the opportunity to travel and see other cultures.
WG: Which would give you the chance to indulge your passion for photography?
AD: Where did you hear about that? Yes I do; itâs my one hobby and it is one thing that I really do enjoy doing and fortunately I get some great opportunities to see sights that people donât normally get to see.
WG: Do they adorn your home or do you exhibit them?
AD: I havenât got quite that far. I have a lot of it at home and some hanging at the office.
A few people have come in and bought some. I had one situation where a guy I had been working with for a couple of months suddenly stopped in the middle of a meeting because he kept forgetting to ask where I got the pictures from.
I told him they were mine and he asked if I had a portfolio and ended up buying a couple.
WG: Where did this passion manifest?
AD: My father was a photographer and I spent a short period of my life working as a photographer, but I realised that I wasnât passionate enough to make a career out of it. I didnât want to be a wedding photographer, I love photographing scenery so that is why the travelling is so good for me.
I also ride a motorbike. Thatâs my other release.
WG: What sort of bike?
AD: Itâs a Triumph Speed Triple 1050cc.
WG: Thatâs a big bike and youâre not exactly big.
AD: It is quite an unusual sight. I have to ride in high-heeled boots otherwise I canât touch the ground properly.
I had a car accident about 15 years ago that took me 10 years to completely get over and during that time I couldnât ride. It was a yardstick that once I could put a helmet on and get back on a bike I was at least close to being better.
Now I donât own a car and I just ride every opportunity I can get, which isnât very often.
It is a dangerous thing to be doing, out on the roads a lot of the time, but I enjoy the freedom and I think I also enjoy the fact you have to focus so hard on what is around you; you canât afford to be thinking about work or anything else so it really does make you tell your brain that you are having a break from work.
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