Wife and husband team, Maddy and Aldert Portwig, are passionate about safety in the workplace.

Their big personalities and cheery dispositions make them purpose fit to help drive positive safety change in a workplace. 

Always up for a chat and a joke, the pair love the engagement aspect of their respective safety roles for Wilmar ANZ and are dedicated to going above and beyond to keep their colleagues safe.

Aldert is EHS Business Partner for Wilmar BioEthanol, taking in Sarina Distillery, Oonooie, Mackay Harbour, and the Yarraville Processing and Packing Plant, as well as Brisbane and Sydney-based Bio employees, while Maddy is SHE Coordinator for Sugar Australia’s Northern loop, encompassing Racecourse Refinery, Mackay Port and the Glebe Island Terminal.

“From the moment I started working at Sugar Australia I felt part of the family,” Maddy said.

“People are my passion. I will always make myself available to give advice on safety matters or just be an ear to listen and support someone in need.”

Aldert said he treated each site as a different entity when it came to safety, rather than forcing a one size fits all approach.

“All workplaces have key individuals who influence how a site operates. My approach is to develop systems or processes that complement that particular part of the business,” he said.

“I like to get points on the board by working with teams and groups to help them achieve their safety goals.”

Although Aldert acknowledges that he and Maddy have different approaches to safety - “Maddy is more methodical in her approach, while I am instinct driven” - they share a key personality trait.

“We are both extroverts and we love having a laugh, both at work and at home,” he said.

Maddy and Aldert met in South Africa in 1999, after dazzling each other with their dance moves in a Witbank nightclub.

Aldert was working as a safety champion at the time, while Maddy was studying sport and physical technology.

They were married in 2001 and welcomed their first of two daughters in 2005.

When a job opportunity arose in 2005 for Aldert to transfer to Australia, the couple made the move with their young daughter.

Maddy landed her first safety-related job soon after, working as a health, safety and training administration assistant at an open cut mine in Central Queensland. Aldert was also employed there in a centralised safety advisor role.

Keen for a better work-life balance, Aldert joined Wilmar BioEthanol in 2018. Maddy was not far behind, taking up her current position with Sugar Australia in 2019.

As the newer entrant to the safety industry, Maddy said she appreciated Aldert’s advice and support.

“Having a partner in safety can be a great advantage or a big disaster,” she joked.

“Aldert has been working in health and safety for most of his working career and has a lot of knowledge in the field.

“There are times when we do not see eye to eye on some things but we still respect each other’s opinion.”