About

‘Skilled strategist’ Rebecca Hayward has been nominated for the pivotal role she played in Fortescue the $9bn T155 project, expanding Fortescue’s production capacity by 100 million tonnes per annum. The development included three processing facilities, 300km of rail and roads, airports, power stations, accommodation villages, port berths and world firsts in automated rail ore car workshops and mining haulage systems. The decision to leave a promising private career at Clayton Utz, was ultimately an easy one. ‘I hadn’t planned on moving in-house, I recognised what a unique opportunity T155 presented’, Hayward says. ‘It was an opportunity to be an integral part of planning the process and delivery model for a multi-billion dollar project, starting with a blank page and then seeing it to completion. I don’t think I’ve had a happier time in professional career’. Working within a compact legal team, she has played a central role in decision-making at all stages of the projects, working to extremely tight timescales. She has impressed sources with her role in negotiating and advising on strategic contracts with key suppliers and contractors within the volatile iron ore market. She is also praised for her holistic, ‘commercial’ approach and her ability to communicate and negotiate effectively with different arms of the projects.