The first Women With Metal - The ALUMINIUM Awards were held at The Aluminium Show, Dusseldorft, Germany on the 9th October 2024.
Winners have been announced
Role Model
The winner is: Negisti G. Gared, Founder and General Manager, N A Y S Aluminium Engineering PLC
The 2024 Role Model who has set a benchmark for excellence and innovation.
Young Leader
The winner is: Dr. Pia Reuß, Production Manager Automotive, Speira GmbH
The judges agreed that the future of aluminium is in good hands with the incredible accomplishments of all the nominees in this category. The winner has an impressive production and academic background.
Sustainable & Innovative Leader
The winner is: Ramona Tosone, Head of Center for Material Innovation at AMAG, AMAG Austria Metall AG
The Judges were particularly impressed with her leadership skills and how she integrated her academic accomplishments into her role resulting in innovative and sustainable new applications.
Unsung Shero
The Winner is: Gerd Aalborg, VP - Head of Logistics, Norsk Hydro
The Judges were delighted to see her people's perspective shine through.
Male Ally
The winner is: Carlos André Valim, Europe Sales Manager – Aluminium Slabs / Value Added Products, Alcoa
Carlos is proactive, consistent and dedicated in championing women’s involvement in aluminium.
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock is the CEO and Founder of Women with Metal and Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services. Kirsty has worked in the metal sector for 35 years and is an expert in surface finishing of aluminium, stainless steel and other non ferrous metals for sectors including Nuclear, Pharmaceutical and Architectural.
An experienced NED she is also a Director and past Chair of the British Stainless Steel Association and CIC ART Business Loans. In 2023 Kirsty launched the Women in Industry Podcast to shine a light on women working in traditionally male dominated industries no matter what stage of their career.
Kirsty is also a frequent media contributor for the BBC, SKY News and for print media both industry based and broadsheet. She is also a speaker for manufacturing and engineering conferences in the UK.
Yasmin Ouiriemmi has been responsible for the project management of ALUMINIUM World Trade Fair organised by RX Deutschland GmbH, since 2022. After the graduation in Business Administration she gathered first experiences in organising congresses at the Center for Wind Power Drives at RWTH Aachen University and in agencies for analogue, digital and hybrid events. As Event Manager, Yasmin had already been in charge of various events in the materials trade fair portfolio of RX since 2019 until she took over the co-design of the supporting programme and the coordination of partnerships for ALUMINIUM in 2020, with the promotion to Product Manager following.
Nadine Bloxsome currently holds the position of Membership and Sustainability Manager at the UK Aluminium Federation (ALFED) and brings over a decade of profound industry knowledge, honed through her tenure as Editor and Content Director at Aluminium International Today.
In her role at ALFED, Nadine is a driving force behind the association's sustainability initiatives, forging pathways towards a greener, more sustainable future for the aluminium industry. With a sharp focus on the 2050 Roadmap, she spearheads efforts to enhance value for partners and members by championing sustainable technologies and fostering collaborative networks.
Beyond her strategic leadership at ALFED, Nadine remains deeply entrenched in the realm of journalism and industry events. She continues to lend her expertise to Aluminium International Today, shaping conversations and disseminating insights on crucial industry developments. Her editorial role extends to moderating and presenting at industry conferences, further solidifying her position as a thought leader in the aluminium sector.
Duygu Saymen was appointed Secretary General of The Turkish Aluminium
Industrialists Association having previously held the role of Deputy Secretary
General.
As the leading representative of the Turkish Aluminium Industry, TALSAD
works for sustainable growth and development of the aluminium industry in
local and regional markets, development and implementation of new and
advanced technologies, implementation of good practices in health, safety
and environment and works to develop strong local and international
partnerships.
Marius Baader is the Managing Director of Aluminium Deutschland.
As a representative of the aluminum industry, AD strives to engage in an open
dialogue with the public in order to increase transparency and understanding
of the material aluminum and its members' products among customers and
consumers. To this end, there is a constant exchange of experiences and ideas
within the association; it is the prerequisite for effective representation of the
interests of all member companies, including externally.
Fiona is the Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), which she joined in March 2015 with the responsibility for leading the development and implementation of ASI. In 2023, ASI has more than 320 members and has issued more than 300 Certifications for performance and chain of custody in the aluminium value chain.
Her career has specialised in building new and innovative initiatives in mineral supply chains over more than 25 years. She was previously Director – Standards Development at the Responsible Jewellery Council from 2007 to 2015, where she developed a certification program for gold, diamonds and platinum group metals which was adopted by more than 1000 companies across the supply chain from mine to retail.
Paul Voss is Director General at European Aluminium, the industry voice of the aluminium value chain in Europe. Mr. Voss is a long-term public affairs and governmental relations expert with 20 years of experience in the Brussels and energy sector. Prior to joining the aluminium industry, Mr. Voss served as Managing Director at Euroheat & Power, the association for the European district energy sector, and as Head of Public and Industrial Affairs at energy solutions provider Danfoss District Energy.
A British-Belgian national, Paul Voss is married with three children and holds degrees in Political Science and European Public Administration from Universities in Canada, France and Belgium.
Zahra Awan is the current assistant editor of Aluminium International Today. Before starting her role, she completed a degree in English. She started the role in 2021 and has relied on the openness of the metals industry to teach her all there is to know. Learning, with the help of key industry players, researchers, universities, and the shop floor, and moving away from classical texts to economic and industry data, she has discovered satisfaction in numbers and the achievements of innovative discoveries. She is most appreciative of the work that the industry does to decarbonise, and attributes its hard work to the reason for her own personal awareness of the importance of sustainability in her everyday life.
With five categories to showcase and celebrate diversity and sustainability with the Aluminium Sector.
Role Model - The ultimate archetype. She always leads by example, shines with professionalism and expertise, contributes creative and innovative ideas, shows commitment and full support for her colleagues and also stands up for the things that are important to her at work but also outside of work. Her professional career can certainly boast some very special honours, but she is still down-to-earth, honest and authentic. This woman is the best example of what women can achieve in the industry, and she has a radiance that inspires the entire sector – a real role model!
Sustainable and Innovative Leader - The strong pioneer. She is characterised by particularly outstanding achievements and exceptional success: Throughout her career, this strong pioneer has overcome every hurdle and always shone with creative and innovative impact. Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand for this woman, especially when it comes to establishing aluminium as the material of the future and thus driving forward the transformation of the entire industry. Sustainability is a particular concern of hers, which she is actively committed to – she is a courageous metal master!
Unsung Shero - The hidden champion. She is a hero of everyday life and a hero of the industry: a woman who has a solution ready for every challenge, who always keeps a cool head in a crisis, who always has a sympathetic ear and is on hand with help and advice, a woman who shows total commitment and motivates the entire team. She is the woman for all cases, she knows everything and knows everyone, she is the one who is always there when questions arise and always knows the right answer – she is the unsung hero of the aluminium industry, a real "alloy angel"!
Young Leader - The dynamic power woman. She is young, dynamic and full of energy: this woman is extremely committed and proves to be a particularly active force in the company. What she does, she does with passion and ambition, full of drive she pursues a vision and has ambitious goals with her team. She likes to pursue or develop unusual ideas and creative approaches, has outstanding communication skills and an inspiring innovative spirit. She is courageous, open and flexible, she is not afraid to break new ground and take risks – and she is full of power!
Male Ally - The committed champion. He is always a solid anchor who supports his female colleagues when it’s getting tough. He is the ally who supports, drives, encourages, motivates and celebrates the women in the industry. He is there when he is needed, shows sensitivity and empathy, has already enabled his female colleagues to make further progress, to achieve their goals and he actively promotes change, more equality and the recognition of women in the industry – he’s a true ally!