Today, we’re proud to highlight another remarkable woman in operations and welcome Sue McCarrey to the NAWO 100 Women in Operations Wall of Fame.

The NAWO 100 Women in Operations campaign exists to highlight the breadth of operational roles women hold and to make career pathways visible through lived experience. It showcases women whose work shapes systems, builds capability, and creates opportunity for others across Australia’s operational landscape.

Sue commenced her role as Chief Executive Officer in February 2023, leading both the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) and the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR). Prior to this, she served for eight years as Chief Executive of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, where she led significant national reform across the rail industry.

With a career spanning more than forty years in government, Sue has held senior roles across education, transport, and public sector leadership. Her experience includes time as a school principal, senior roles within the Public Transport Authority, and Deputy Director General of Policy, Planning and Investment at the WA Department of Transport.

Sue holds a Bachelor of Law from Murdoch University, a Master of Education from Edith Cowan University, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sue has been nominated for:

  • Being an inspirational leader and respected role model across transport, rail, and regulatory sectors.
  • Demonstrating a leadership philosophy grounded in teaching, coaching, and mentoring others to reach their potential.
  • Leading the successful implementation of a single National Rail Safety Regulator, delivering complex legislative reform and large-scale organisational change.
  • Building inclusive, high-performing cultures that value diversity and challenge traditional leadership norms.
  • Actively encouraging the participation and progression of women and young people in operational industries.

Sue’s career reflects what the NAWO 100 Women in Operations campaign stands for – visible leadership, meaningful reform, and creating space for diverse voices to shape Australia’s operational future.

Congratulations Sue and welcome to the Wall of Fame.