ISSN 2203-1375 UOW OUTLOOK MAGAZINE ISSUE 1 UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG 2013/2014 ANNUAL ALUMNI MAGAZINE Inside SAFETY Why is a mining company CEO so committed to safety? PRIVATE OR PUBLIC? Privacy in the digital age LEADERSHIP Inspiring female leaders HUMANITY Lawlessness and how humans exist when boundaries don’t MEDIA EVOLUTION The changing face of media SUSTAINABLE LIVING Retrofitted home an international winner UOW Outlook Magazine ISSUE 1: 2013/2014 UOW Outlook Magazine is the University of Wollongong’s annual alumni magazine. It is produced by the Alumni Relations The act of looking out Team within the UOW Office of Advancement. Connect with us +61 2 4221 3169 [email protected] uow.edu.au/alumni facebook.com/uowalumni t has been over 10 years since UOW linkedin.com [search UOW Alumni Group] produced a dedicated alumni magazine. In Iplanning its relaunch, we waded through Content ideas, submissions, feedback the archives of back issues of Wollongong [email protected] Outlook, The Outlook and Outlook dating back to 1990. They all told a story of a regional Subscription preferences university that had a strong sense of identity uow.edu.au/alumni/preferences and the courage to express its point of view, +61 2 4221 3169 to stake a position in the world of education The UOW Outlook Magazine team regardless of being a relative newcomer in a landscape of history and sandstone. Editor in Chief: Monique Harper-Richardson Director of Advancement In refreshing this publication, we not only held President, University of Wollongong USA onto the title, but also the magazine’s essence Foundation of providing an outlook: of melding the B Comm Econ, M Strat Mktg outward views of our alumni, academics and Managing Editor: Leanne Newsham leaders to stimulate discourse and debate. Alumni Relations Manager BA Communications UOW Outlook Magazine showcases the alumni Editor: Evette Deaves community, with its rich and diverse pool Senior Alumni Communications Coordinator of talent, expertise and voices. In our first BA Communications issue, we interviewed Mark Cutifani, CEO of Editorial Committee the world’s fourth largest mining company Cathy Cameron, Evette Deaves, Nick Hartgerink, Anglo American and unveiled a man with an Monique Harper-Richardson, Leanne Newsham unwavering commitment to safety. We gave Contributors Walkley Award winning journalist Alexandra Jenna Bradwell, Jack Breen, Shawn Burns, Fisher the freedom to express her inquisitive Melissa Coade, Evette Deaves, Alexandra Fisher, mind in a confronting and firsthand account Nick Hartgerink, Monique Harper-Richardson, of a world where borders and people collide. Leanne Newsham, Elise Pitt, Vicky Wallace, Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE We addressed the issue of privacy in a public world and spoke with a selection of inspiring Alumni Research: Samantha Nguyen Alumni Research Coordinator women about their take on leadership. B Psych Within the pages of UOW Outlook Magazine, Design: Anthony Petre we aim to be fearless in discussing the big Design & Creative Services Coordinator issues, humble in celebrating the wins and B Creative Arts (Graphic Design), M Strat Mktg inspirational in shaping your own outlook. Illustration: Claire Foxton Graphic Designer We hope you find that this magazine inspires B Creative Arts (Graphic Design) in you a feeling of connectedness with your Photography UOW alumni community, and a sense of Mark Newsham, Bernard Richardson Wollongong pride. Print and Distribution The UOW Outlook Magazine team UOW Print & Distribution Services Copyright © 2013 University of Wollongong. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the University. The University of Wollongong attempts to ensure the information contained in this publication is correct at the time of production (December 2013); however, sections may be amended without notice by the University in response to changing circumstances or for any other reason. CRICOS Provider No: 00102E. In this issue Global mining company CEO’s 2 unwavering commitment to safety A conversation with Mark Cutifani, UOW mining engineering graduate and Anglo American CEO. The question of privacy in our 6 endless pursuit of visibility The voices of UOW researchers and alumni weigh in on privacy in the digital age. Women’s business 10 From board members and engineers to academics, directors and champions of the arts, UOW’s inspirational female leaders and alumni span backgrounds, professions and the globe. UOW OUTLOOKUOW Humans without boundaries 1 17 Few places on earth evoke a sense of lawlessness like eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but for all its unruliness it offers a telling look at how humans exist when boundaries don’t. The changing face of media 24 We talked to five UOW graduates who have all forged successful careers in the media in Australia and across the globe, for their perspectives on the changing face of media. Students who shine 32 Team UOW were the first Australian team to gain entry into the Solar Decathlon, and took a unique approach by being the first to enter an existing retrofitted home. 14 Vice-Chancellor: Join us on an exciting journey 20 A conversation with Emilio Robles 23 Alumni helping Australia’s next generation of leaders UOW Outlook Magazine 29 Opinion: who said that journalism can’t change? For digital versions, visit: 30 Building better lives for people with dementia uow.edu.au/alumni/outlook 34 In the spotlight with Dr Weihua Sun 35 Connecting alumni 39 The year at UOW 2 UOW OUTLOOKUOW Global mining company CEO’s unwavering commitment to safety Mark Cutifani, UOW mining engineering graduate and Anglo American CEO, talks to Nick Hartgerink. UOW OUTLOOKUOW 3 ark, you are now some months and operational dynamics of a mine; AngloGold Ashanti, you are credited into your role as CEO of global appreciating the processes and systems with making a dramatic improvement Mmining giant Anglo American. and how to improve them; and most to the company’s safety record, with How important is it for you to have importantly, adding value to the safety fatalities dropping by 70% in the first a mining engineering background in processes. For me, mining engineering two and a half years and continuing running one of the world’s top five was an introduction to the opportunity to improve after that. What drives mining companies? of solving mining problems, each and your special passion for mine safety? every day, to unlock the potential of I was delighted to accept the position A dear colleague and mentor of mine, every operation. I was also lucky enough of Chief Executive of Anglo American in Stanley, lost his life in a fall of ground to start my career at Coalcliff Colliery, January 2013. I started the role in April incident in the early years of my career. where I worked while completing my and for the last seven months I have I will never forget that feeling of loss, studies. There, I learned the value of spent a lot of time on the road, getting which has had an irrevocable effect on hard work, productivity and camaraderie to know the people and the operations. me and ultimately how I would approach as well as the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the I appreciate even more now the great mine safety for the rest of my career. operations. I must admit that I was never potential of the organisation – the high the most productive of miners in my Safety is, put simply, the most quality of our assets; our commodity and early years, but I certainly learned a lot important aspect of mining. The geographic diversification; our expertise from the older guys that would put me processes, and the compliance and in exploration; and most importantly the in good stead. adherence to those, supports a safe high calibre of our people. operation but we have to think beyond Mining has traditionally been a My background in mining engineering that. We must strip all of the parts dangerous industry, especially has been fundamental, not only to my down to the value of human life – we in what could be described as current role but throughout the past have an obligation to preserve that. developing countries. You are widely 36 years. In fact, my whole career acknowledged as an industry leader There is no excuse for anything less than has been about building on the strong who champions worker safety. an absolute, unwavering commitment to foundation that mining engineering gave In your previous role as CEO of keeping our people safe and healthy at me: understanding in detail the technical all times. It’s simply non-negotiable. What kinds of initiatives did you put better. Continuous improvement in place at AngloGold to achieve such requires commitment from top to improvements? bottom, leadership, discipline, speaking up and listening to colleagues. We started with a conversation around relationships and why it was so Mining has helped Australia important for us to take the time to get weather the global financial crisis to know and understand our people. better than most economies, yet Building an understanding of who we mining is often a divisive element in are working with – to build a sense of the Australian political/community our own humanity is the first step in landscape – particularly with making a fundamental change to the issues such as coal seam gas and way in which we lead conversations the preservation of agricultural in the workplace. From this we build a lands from opencut mining? How sense of what is possible, that every do you think the industry is viewed accident is preventable. In tandem with in Australia and do you think the the focus on leadership we started to industry needs to do more? build a different operating model that Australia, like most other mining focused on planning our work for safe countries, is adjusting to this relatively outcomes.