Felicity Repacholi\u2019s father wasn\u2019t expecting to hear the term \u201cgold digger\u201d when he asked his three-year-old daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up.<\/p>\n
No, we\u2019re not talking about the kind of \u201cgold digger\u201d Kanye West was rapping about in his Grammy award-winning hit. We\u2019re referring to someone who wants to dig actual physical gold out of the ground.<\/p>\n
So, other than the obvious, why was it an unexpected response? Well, it had something to do with the Repacholi family growing up in Western Australia\u2019s farming heartland and there not being a single mining operation in sight.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy sister\u2019s answer was a nurse, something common for her age, but my reply always stuck out to him,\u201d Repacholi tells Stockhead<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cComing from the Wheatbelt, with minimal exposure to the mining sector, it always struck him as an interesting answer, and something he wasn\u2019t expecting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo perhaps I had my sights set on the industry at a very early age \u2013 plus, I\u2019m sure I didn\u2019t know the other meaning of \u2018gold digger\u2019 at that age!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Repacholi on site at Recharge\u2019s Express lithium project in Quebec. Pic supplied<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The young Repacholi would go on to study geology and become an integral part of WA\u2019s mining community, initially with the majors as many graduates do, before finding her feet at the junior end of town.<\/p>\n Repacholi often reflects on her arrival at iron ore junior Cazaly Resources (ASX:CAZ)<\/a> as one of the defining moments of her career.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was when I commenced working within the junior sector that I had that \u2018lightbulb\u2019 moment, of feeling like you\u2019d found your home and where I wanted my career to continue,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dynamic nature of a junior, free from the bureaucracy that is present in some larger operations and being able to work autonomously really appealed to me. Since that first memorable role in the junior sector with Cazaly Resources, I\u2019ve remained amongst the juniors and it is has been through my work and the contacts that I\u2019ve made within that my career has progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Repacholi is now at the helm of lithium explorer Recharge Metals (ASX:REC)<\/a> where she is leading the search for \u201cwhite gold\u201d in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s Express and Wapistan projects are within touching distances of several established resources in the region, including Allkem\u2019s (ASX:AKE)<\/a> 37.2Mt @ 1.3% Li2O James Bay deposit, Nemaska Lithium\u2019s (TSE:NMX) 36.6Mt @ 1.3% Li2O Whabouchi deposit and Winsome Resources\u2019 (ASX: WR1)<\/a> recently announced maiden resource of 59Mt @ 1.12% Li2O at Cancet.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Recharge\u2019s James Bay lithium portfolio. Source: REC<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Over her professional career, Repacholi has observed a gradual increase in diversity and inclusiveness within the industry, but admits \u201cmeaningful change\u201d for women in mining remains slow.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tide is turning, but it is taking time to do,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen still face a lack of career progression opportunities in the mining sector, particularly in executive roles. I\u2019m hopeful that we can continue to attract more women into STEM careers and then into resources \u2013 the backbone of WA\u2019s economy \u2013 and in turn drive this change at a higher level.\u201d<\/p>\n Repacholi also admits that while women in the resources sector \u201cget used to being outnumbered\u201d by their male counterparts, it can be a pretty lonely space at times \u2013 something she experienced during the early years of her career.<\/p>\n \u201cI commenced my working career within an exploration team that had a considerable large portion of females working within the team so was perhaps lulled into a false sense of security, having a larger cohort of female peers than what was industry standard,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing this role, I worked in more heavily male-dominated environments, and during these times had moments of feeling very much in the minority and vulnerable. I\u2019m very thankful for that first role with the exploration team \u2013 it provided me with an environment I felt safe in and gave me the confidence to continue in the sector.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Repacholi with good friend and fellow geologist Kirsty Culver (now exploration manager for Duketon Mining) on site in the Pilbara for BHP in 2005. Pic supplied<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n If Repacholi could wave a magic wand and make one critical change for the better to the industry, it would be flattening out the effects of boom-and-bust cycles, particularly those relating to the retention of skilled workers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe booms, whilst providing an abundance of opportunity and good times, are coupled with shortages of staff and expensive programs which are often poorly executed,\u201d Repacholi says.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the downtimes, our industry loses a lot of talented people seeking stability elsewhere, which leaves us even more exposed when the next boom cycle arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Have an inspiring story about women in resources to tell? Email\u00a0michael.washbourne@stockhead.com.au<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Recharge Metals is a Stockhead advertiser, they did not sponsor this article.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The post Repacholi recharged: From life on the farm to digging up \u2018white gold\u2019<\/a> appeared first on Stockhead<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A place to call home<\/strong><\/h2>\n
It can be very lonely for a woman in mining<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Retaining talent in the industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n