Chemistry sets Tracey up for golden career path

Tracey McNab has worked in the gold industry from one end to the other and thinks she is in the best place right now.

Tracey is deputy manager of The Perth Mint refinery laboratory where she uses her skills in chemistry and experience gained in the field and on minesite laboratories to ensure the quality and purity of the Mint’s precious metals products.

After studying applied chemistry, she worked with an exploration company around Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, and also had a stint as a fly-in, fly-out laboratory manager on a mine site near Wiluna.

When Tracey joined the Mint in 1991, the refinery near Perth Airport was only a couple of years old, and she was closely involved in acquiring the instrumentation which has helped build the facility’s reputation for precision analysis.

She later joined the Mint’s treasury team as a bullion manager which opened her eyes to the marketing and customer service end of the business.

After a short-lived ‘retirement’ in 2007, Tracey is back in her happy place in the laboratory and is confident about the future of the Western Australian gold industry and The Perth Mint’s place as a key part of the processing chain.

“I like to say I’ve seen the gold industry from all sides, but to me the refinery is the most interesting. It’s where all the hard work from a lot of people comes to fruition.”