By investing in the ideas and knowledge base of our female workforce, we’re moving the dial on technology, data and engineering at GrainCorp.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate progress’ , and Head of Analytics Su-Ann Porter and Process Engineer Nooshin Asadi are answering the call by advancing GrainCorp’s operations through analytics and AI.
Nooshin joined GrainCorp in July 2022 as a Junior Process Engineer at our canola crush plant in Numurkah, VIC, and has since progressed to a Process Engineer role at our West Footscray processing facility.
Growing up in Isfahan, Iran, Nooshin says her mother inspired her and set her on her academic path.
“My mother was a librarian at Isfahan University of Technology library, and being in the university environment from a young age encouraged me to pursue further study.”
“My personal interest in both agriculture and innovative, sustainable technology led me to gain a master’s degree in biotechnology,” Nooshin says.
“I came to Australia to gain my PhD at Monash University, and I was keen to boost my experience in an operational environment, which I was able to do with GrainCorp,” says Nooshin.
Nooshin has introduced the use of AI in her work at Numurkah to help improve the processing operations at the plant.
“As a Process Engineer, I work with complex data sets, so by using AI and machine learning I’m able to optimise the operations to achieve the best results,” she says.
One such result, achieved in collaboration with the Advanced Analytics team, was increasing the crush capacity of the plant from 1,410 tonnes per day to over 1,500 tonnes per day.
“This is a significant lift in productivity and really shows how AI can boost the capabilities of our teams,” says Nooshin.
Su-Ann joined GrainCorp this year with almost 20 years of experience in the world of analytics, working across retail, property and fast-moving consumer goods.
Having started in the technical industries as a finance analyst before broadening her scope to include strategy and consumer research, Su-Ann is uniquely placed to lead GrainCorp’s Advanced Analytics team.
“The experiences I’ve had in my career mean I can work in the detail, but I’m also able to look at the bigger picture,” says Su-Ann.
“My focus is to set the tone and direction for Advanced Analytics at GrainCorp – we have good foundations and a strong team, so my goal is to take us from where we are today, to becoming the best in class,” Su-Ann says.
“I’ve seen first-hand the importance of making data-informed decisions, and how this directly impacts a business’s success – so I’m passionate about getting the strategy right,” says Su-Ann.
Nooshin and Su-Ann agree that creating diverse teams and empowering women in the workplace is key to accelerating progress.
“Women add so much value to the workforce – we think differently and bring another set of life experiences to matters that we deal with on a day-to-day basis.”
Head of Analytics, Su-Ann Porter
“By supporting and promoting women in their professions, we can inspire them to believe in themselves and meet their full potential.”
Process Engineer, Nooshin Asadi
