Ms Gretta Theobald Stephens

Gretta Theobald Stephens is a highly experienced executive in the manufacturing, mining and heavy industry sectors having worked for over 30 years in aluminium and steel in Australia and New Zealand. She has held senior leadership roles in operations leadership, business transformation and technical development.

Gretta is an alumna of Monash University holding a B.Sc in Chemistry & Materials Science and a B.E in Materials Engineering (Hons). Graduating in the early 1990s Gretta started as a graduate Research Engineer with Comalco (now Rio Tinto Aluminium).

Gretta’s varied career has enabled her to build on foundations in science and engineering into leadership, governance, strategy and policy development, culminating in the position of BlueScope’s first Chief Executive for Climate Change and Sustainability. In this role she oversees the development and implementation of BlueScope’s global climate action strategies, and the Company’s broader sustainability areas of focus.

Gretta prioritises collaboration and has acted on it, building constructive relationships and partnerships helping BlueScope to play a leading role in the future of a sustainable steel industry that incorporates a broad range of stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, governments and industry. She was recognised in 2023s ESG Power 50 as one of the top 50 most influential corporate ESG leaders in Australia.

Previously, Ms Stephens was Chief Executive New Zealand & Pacific Islands, where she led BlueScope's mining, manufacturing and downstream businesses in New Zealand and manufacturing and distribution businesses in the Pacific Islands.

Ms Stephens joined BlueScope in June 2018 from New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Chemical Company, where she had been General Manager and Chief Executive since 2013. Previously, Gretta was General Manager of Business Improvement & Technology for Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelters in Australia and New Zealand.

Gretta is a member of the Institute of Company Directors NZ, and has sat on a number of internal boards and advisory bodies including the New Zealand Business and Parliamentary Trust, was a member of the NZ Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council and the Electricity Authority’s Security and Reliability Committee.