North West Annual Breakfast Workshop

Priscilla Puchala is the General Manager and Site Senior Executive at Daunia Mine, where she has had the privilege of leading the team through one of the most significant milestones in the site’s history – the transition to Whitehaven. Over her 15 year career in mining, Priscilla has worked her way through drill and blast, mine planning, and production leadership roles across Queensland’s mining sector. She is passionate about creating safe, high-performing teams, but equally about the people side of leadership – building trust, fostering accountability, and empowering others to succeed. Alongside her career, she is also a proud mum to two young girls and deeply values the challenge and reward of balancing mining leadership with family life.

With 17 years of heavy industry experience, including executive leadership roles; board level reporting; exposure to metalliferous and coal mining and water treatment, Kris has successfully developed and maintained both enterprise and operational frameworks. In his current role he leads the development and implementation of the risk culture at Whitehaven Coal. He partners with board and executive level to improve performance and risk-based decision making and is accountable for strategy development, planning, corporate reporting & analytics, third line assurance and risk systems.

He has extensive experience liaising with government stakeholders. He led BHP to become the first mining company to win an Industry Excellence Award from CASANZ and was recognized for innovative leadership with a BHP Global Environment Award nomination. A career high point was being invited to present to the Samsung Innovation Board in Korea. Kris grew up in Northern NSW, has two daughters and uses his spare time surfing and parading as a stand up comic.

Jacinta took her first management role at 19 years of age, where she was attracted to a role which engaged leadership, innovation, and growth.
Jacinta is proud to have experience in her business start up, Ultra Fleet vehicle hire, and has built a solid business with reputable clients and over 140 vehicles servicing both NSW and QLD.

Today, Jacinta finds herself as the founder of Ultra Fleet along with her role as General Manager of her family-owned Drilling Company, Mannion Drilling, leading a team of 35 within both entities.

Throughout her career, Jacinta says her success is from hard work, honesty and wanting to be a positive role model to her family and industry. A passionate founder, wife and mum, Jacinta was born and raised in the cold country of Tenterfield NSW. She has proudly called Gunnedah home with her family for the past 14 years.

Ray is the Manager of Stakeholder Relations with Idemitsu Australia. He’s been in the mining industry for many years starting his career as a mining engineer at what is now Bulga Coal in the Hunter Valley.
After completing 7 years as a drill and blast engineer he went to work in a marketing role for a leading explosives supplier.

From there Ray spent 16 years with Thiess working across regional NSW and QLD before landing a role with Idemitsu Australia in 2012. Ray has led mining teams across NSW and QLD for Idemitsu Australia before taking on his present role in 2019.

Ray lives in Brisbane with his wife and together they compete in obstacle racing, travelling the world to follow their passion.

Susan Frater is Manager Economy and Growth at Gunnedah Shire Council with a broad portfolio and terrific team.

Susan’s area covers economic development, social and community planning, youth, the Cultural Precinct, tourism, the Library and Gunnedah Regional Saleyards.

Susan has a background in transport, with experience at Qantas, QantasLink, Pacific National and Inland Rail. A chance meeting with a beef producer at the Royal Easter brought her to the region around 20 years ago.

Mining and mining services in our region brings skilled workers and welcome skilled partners and families- Susan’s goal is to encourage those families to stay and enjoy all Gunnedah Shire has to offer.