26 May 2026

Leading people, performance and environmental outcomes. Morgana Gidley-Baird’s role at Whitehaven.

Whitehaven’s General Manager Environment, Morgana Gidley-Baird, a recent finalist in the Exceptional Woman in Mining category at the NSW Women in Mining Awards, has spent more than 20 years working across mining, energy and major infrastructure projects in Australia. Her career has taken her from remote sites in the Pilbara to one of the country’s most tightly regulated environments on Barrow Island.

Growing up in Muswellbrook, as the region gradually shifted from farming to mining, Morgana saw early on how different industries needed to share the same landscape.

“I grew up watching industries with very different priorities learning to operate alongside one another,” she said. “That stayed with me. It’s why I chose to work within heavy industry rather than outside it. I felt I could have more impact from the inside.”

Morgana began her career in environmental consulting before moving to Mt Arthur Coal. A key turning point came in 2010, when at 28 she relocated to Western Australia to take on a Superintendent role at BHP’s Newman Joint Venture. At the time, more than half of the environmental roles were vacant, and the operation was expanding rapidly.

“Newman was a real sink-or-swim moment,” she said. “I was new to the region, new to the sites, and stepping into my first leadership role. I spent a lot of time listening, learning how the operation worked, and leaning on people with more experience. It was challenging, but it also gave me confidence in what I could handle.”

The role proved pivotal, shaping the opportunities and responsibilities that followed. Morgana went on to share the lead (back to back role) of the environment team on Chevron’s Gorgon LNG Project on Barrow Island; an A-Class Nature Reserve and one of Australia’s most environmentally sensitive locations. There, she oversaw environmental compliance for a construction workforce of more than 6,000 people.

“Barrow Island really reinforced the importance of consistency and visible leadership,” she said. “When you’re working in an environment like that, there’s very little margin for error. Everyone understood what was at stake, and the team took that responsibility seriously.”

Morgana later joined AGL Energy, where she progressed into a group leadership role overseeing environmental strategy across coal, gas and renewable assets in five states. She joined AGL during a significant period of change across the energy sector, as companies began navigating the early stages of the energy transition alongside major regulatory and organisational change.

“Every stage of my career has involved change in some form,” she said. “At AGL, it meant helping teams stay focused and supported through a lot of uncertainty. You realise pretty quickly that consistency and clear communication matter just as much as technical expertise.”

In 2024, Morgana joined Whitehaven to establish a new Group Environment function, including a dedicated rehabilitation and closure stream. Since then, she has focused on strengthening governance systems and bringing newly acquired operations in Queensland into alignment with the company’s environmental approach.

“Joining Whitehaven at this point in its growth has been a great opportunity,” she said. “Building a function from the ground up with a team that’s genuinely committed to getting it right is the kind of work I enjoy. We’ve made solid progress in a relatively short time.”

Alongside her role, Morgana is actively involved in supporting women in the resources sector. She has mentored participants in the 2025 Women in Mining NSW (WIMnet) Mentoring Program, represents Whitehaven as the Platinum Sponsor at WIMnet events, and recently joined the WIMnet Organising Committee.

“I’ve worked in environments that can be challenging to navigate at times,” she said. “Being able to support others as they build confidence and back themselves is something I really value.”

Through her leadership at Whitehaven and her broader industry involvement, Morgana continues to shape how environmental performance and people leadership are approached across the resources sector.

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