Lanie Gatbonton, head of health, safety and environment at EDC, shares her leadership journey at Macquarie’s International Women’s Day panel discussionLanie Gatbonton, head of health, safety and environment at Energy Development Corporation (EDC), shared her journey as a leader in geothermal energy in Macquarie Group’s panel discussion on Women in Technology on March 27, 2025.

Speaking alongside female professionals from various industries, Gatbonton highlighted the challenges, milestones and opportunities for women in STEM and renewable energy. She emphasized the importance of mentorship, resilience and creating inclusive workplaces that empower women to thrive.

“Throughout my stay in EDC, [the] majority of my training has been in the technical space, [which is] male-dominated. It became a challenge for me to really think outside the box and look beyond being a female in that space, continually improving my craft until eventually I was seen as another potential leader for a nontechnical role.”

Paying it forward

Gatbonton underscored the role of paying it forward—mentoring young professionals and paving the way for more women in the industry, emphasizing the importance of providing feedback for their growth.

“Over the years in my career, I’ve been mentored [by] both male and female leaders. And I see females who actually have a lot of potential that they’re probably not even aware of, so I try to clear the path for them and give them opportunities where they can test new ideas, try something out and then link them up with people who can further help them.

“And in the course of doing that, I also try to give them feedback, because that’s what also helped me,” Gatbonton shared. “In trying to continually improve, it’s very important to know what your weaknesses are. Sometimes we’re not even aware of those things, so it’s very important that we constantly give feedback as you mentor them.”

‘Reminder of progress’

Len Lapuz, associate director at Macquarie Group, underscored the importance of recognizing the contributions of women in all fields, stating: “International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder of the progress we have made and the problems that we’re still facing to address gender diversity.”

She emphasized Macquarie’s commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace: “Our organization, Macquarie, is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our work on diversifying our people, our commitment to equity and our inclusive culture allow us to have initiatives and events like this to create an environment where all women feel included, supported and empowered.”

With another Women’s Month wrapped up and celebrated, EDC remains committed to supporting women in geothermal energy and beyond—ensuring that leadership opportunities, representation and progress never stop.

(Story by:Alaina Lyn de Guzman)