Skip to content

Donna Stace

from Shop Assistant to Specialist Process and Functional Safety
I check systems to keep people and equipment safe
Industry
Mining and Resources
Company
Rio Tinto
Job Level
Mid

Ask me about

  • Working with big machines and tools when I was a kid
  • If I have ever worked in a place far away from home
  • How I help keep people safe at work

About me

  • International Experience
  • Regional Background

From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a trade. I entered the resources industry straight out of school and earned my Mechanical Trade qualifications four years later. My career has taken me across oil and gas, construction, building maintenance, mining, and rail – both in Australia and overseas.

Often the only woman on site, I’ve faced and overcome many challenges, which have only deepened my commitment to the industry. I’m a passionate advocate for Women in Trades and actively promote trade careers as rewarding and viable options for women.

In 2015, I was honoured to be named the City of Karratha’s Citizen of the Year for my volunteer work. While working as a Maintenance Supervisor, I received the 2019 CME of WA and National Women in Resources Award for Outstanding Operator/Technician/Trade Woman.

Now, as an Operational Specialist in Process & Functional Safety, I support the business in managing critical safety systems and continue to lead diversity and inclusion efforts through mentoring and advocacy.

About my role

  • Confident
  • Curious
  • Decisive
  • Flexible
  • Passionate

I’m a Specialist in Process & Functional Safety at Rio Tinto, where I play a critical role in ensuring the safe and reliable operation of industrial systems. As a technical authority, I provide expert guidance on incident investigations, Management of Change (MoC), and the Authority to Operate (ATO) process.

I work closely with operational teams to embed safety standards, lead assurance activities, and develop targeted action plans to address compliance gaps. My work supports the integrity of functional safety systems, helping to protect people, assets, and the environment.

I’m passionate about fostering collaboration and driving continuous improvement across the business. My contributions have been instrumental in implementing key safety frameworks, including the ATO process and the D7 Archer Risk system within Rail operations. Through my expertise and advocacy, I continue to help shape a safer, more inclusive future in the resources sector.

Education

  • Certificate of Trade Studies Engineering Tradesperson (Mechanical) 1998
  • Leading Others - Australian Institute of Management WA
  • Leading Self – Australian Institute of Management WA

Subjects

  • Building and Construction Skills
  • Business Studies
  • English
  • General Mathematics (Maths A)
  • Geography
  • Industrial Technology
  • Physical Education
  • Science

Awards

  • Women In Resources National Awards - Outstanding Trade, Operator or Technician Winner 2019
  • Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA, Women in Resources Awards – Outstanding Operator / Technician / Tradeswoman Winner 2019
  • City of Karratha Citizen of the Year 2015

Hobbies

  • Camping
  • Cooking
  • Seeing family and friends
  • Travel
  • Volunteering

Pets

  • 1 Dog
  • 1 Fish

15 year old me!!

“I’d tell my 15-year-old self: you’ll do many jobs, but starting with a trade gives you strong skills and endless opportunities to grow and succeed.”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Started trade career straight after school
  2. Worked overseas in different resource industries
  3. Award-winning advocate for Women in Trades
  4. Led safety and engineering projects
  5. Driving inclusion and diversity initiatives

My typical day

My employer

Rio Tinto operates in 35 countries where its 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs. Rio’s portfolio includes iron ore, copper, aluminium and a range of other minerals and materials needed for people, communities and nations to grow and prosper, and for the world to cut carbon emissions to net zero. Continuously searching for new projects that can support the energy transition, Rio Tinto is currently exploring for 8 commodities in 17 countries. The organisation has more than 150 years of mining and processing experience guiding its work and, today, the business relies on technology such as automation and artificial intelligence to help it run more safely, more efficiently and leave a lighter footprint.