Energy to burn

As a young girl Melissa Holzberger bypassed Barbie dolls in favour of spending countless hours sorting precious and semi-precious stones with her grandfather. Today, at the age of 32, that childhood fascination has taken her to the pinnacle of her career.

The energy, resources and nuclear law specialist, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1999 and an Arts degree two years earlier, is In-House Counsel for BHP Billiton and currently working on the proposed Olympic Dam mine expansion project in South Australia.

Melissa is one of 39,000 employees of the world's largest diversified resources company, which operates out of 25 countries. She considers herself one of the luckier ones.

"I am passionate about the energy and resources industry," she said, "and as a legal specialist in this area, the ability to work in my home state on the world's largest uranium project is incredible. Not many people get opportunities like this in their career."

But the opportunities have come with careful planning. Melissa realised early in her career that it was foolish to expect employers to open all the doors. She sought - and secured - prestigious international scholarships which broadened her knowledge of the mining sector.

The first was a year-long tripartite Chevening Scholarship, which allowed her to study for a Masters of Laws in Resources Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, Scotland, in 2002.

This international course specialises in energy, mining and petroleum law and attracts students and lecturers from all over the world. In Melissa's case, she mixed with contemporaries from 30 different countries.

The course provided an ideal grounding in resources law and led to a job with Rio Tinto plc in London before she was headhunted by BHP Billiton to work firstly in their Melbourne head office, and then relocated to Adelaide to work on the Olympic Dam expansion project.

Worldwide, the company has 80 lawyers on its books, but Melissa is the only nuclear law specialist.

Most of her work falls under the umbrella of commercial law, advising on contracts and legislation, although she is also called on to provide advice on strategic commercial matters, mining law, and environmental law issues.

In 2005 Melissa completed a Diploma in International Law in France after winning an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency scholarship.

"The French are considered the leaders in nuclear energy due to their reliance on that power source, with more than 70% of their energy needs coming from nuclear sources. This was a great opportunity for me to expand my interest in uranium mining and study with professionals from more than 20 different countries around the world."

It is an exciting time to be working in the resources industry because it is booming, fast paced and offers a lot of opportunities for promotion and travel as well as the chance to learn cutting-edge technology.

In such a male-dominated industry, however, it is not surprising that Melissa is one of the select few women who occupy senior roles. Hence her decision three years ago to establish a mentoring group for women working in the energy and resources industry.

"Issues such as working in remote locations, career choices, balancing motherhood and work are all central to our lives and it helps enormously if women support and encourage each other."

Melissa's achievements, commitment and leadership in the energy and resources sector were recognised with the Telstra South Australian Young Business Women's Award. Within a year she was profiled as one of the State's "Rising Young Stars".

The accolades led to an invitation to address the University of Adelaide's 2007 Law and Education graduands - an honour usually reserved for alumni who have made their mark over 20-30 years.

Her speech impressed upon the graduands the need to take control of their careers and professional development.

"My advice is to devote your professional life to an area which you are truly passionate about, or at the very least, should interest you," she said. "Forget the traditional career ladder and start thinking in terms of a `lattice' rather than a `ladder'. The lattice concept accepts that people will move up, down, diagonally and laterally as they progress through their lives and careers.

"There are many paths to reach the top and there is also plenty of room at the top. If you follow your passions, values and personal strengths you have the best chance of reaching your goals," she added. ■

STORY CANDY GIBSON