Billie Sharp, general manager of Biglift Cranes and Heavy Haulage, is a woman flourishing in a male-dominated industry.
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Biglift Cranes is based at Muswellbrook and provides mobile crane, heavy haulage and transport service Australia wide.
Customers range from local farmers, horse studs (Coolmore), pools (Liesure pools), mining (Glencore, Thiess, MACH Energy), engineering (Mayfield, Hardy Bros, Tefol), heavy haulage (Tobiah Tree Mulching, MDG Hire) and transport (Aggreko, Ausco)
Mrs Sharp started with Biglift Cranes in 2017 and was originally employed to manage their finances. Approximately 12 months later she took on the role of GM.
"My main areas of responsibility are customer relations and overseeing finances, operations and maintenance to ensure we are making the correct decisions," said Mrs Sharp who revels in the variety her industry provides.
"We operate 24 hours a day so you never know when your day is going to start or finish.
"Mobile Cranes are so versatile, so in the morning we can be on a mine site and then in the afternoon installing a pool. The variety of the industry is what keeps me enthused about the position."
International Woman's Day, celebrated on March 8, is a day to reflect on how far the world has come and how far it still has to go to achieve gender equality, ensuring women and girls everywhere have equal rights and opportunities.
For Mrs Sharp, the key to success in the workforce isn't gender, it's about equality and ensuring the right person is in the position regardless of demographic characteristics.
She's proud of what she has achieved personally and the role she plays in guiding a big company like Biglift Cranes.
"I am extremely fortunate to be born in an era and a nation that supports women’s growth within society," Mrs Sharp said.
"If it wasn’t for the actions of the men and women before me I certainly wouldn’t have had the opportunities that have allowed me to become a 27-year-old female general manager in a male-dominated field."