When Samantha Peters accepted a five-week HR internship at EDL, she wasn’t expecting much. It was a short placement before her final semester at university, a way to get some corporate experience before heading back to campus. That was over nine years ago. Today, she leads HR systems across EDL’s global operations in Australia, North America, and Europe. The story of how she got from one to the other is about what happens when a company consistently chooses to invest in its people.
Starting from scratch
Samantha joined EDL with no corporate HR experience. The internship was her first. She learned the basics: HR operations, systems, administration. And when the five weeks ended, she stayed.
She moved into HR Coordinator and then HR Officer roles, handling day-to-day administration, supporting employees across the business, and taking on responsibility for EDL’s HR information system. It was practical, foundational work.
“Gaining that foundation in core HR through my early roles provided a fantastic starting point when it came to designing a global HR system and its accompanying processes.”
That groundwork would matter more than she realised.
The project that changed everything
In 2023, EDL undertook a major global technology transformation, rolling out Oracle across the business. Samantha was appointed Functional Lead for the design, implementation, and delivery of Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM). For context: this is the part of the software that manages everything people-related, from employee records to payroll data, across an entire global organisation.
She partnered with stakeholders across multiple countries and time zones, translated complex business requirements into system solutions, and worked to align processes consistently across a global workforce.
“Seeing the system adopted across the business was a rewarding milestone.”
In 2025, EDL’s CEO agreed. She was awarded the EDL CEO Award in recognition of the project’s successful delivery.
The overthinker’s superpower
Ask Samantha what she loves about her current role, and she doesn’t list seniority or scope. She talks about problem-solving.
“I’m an overthinker by nature, and I think this enables me to consider multiple perspectives and outcomes before determining a solution.”
In a lot of workplaces, that self-awareness gets coached out of people. At EDL, it’s become one of her greatest strengths. She finds the variety of her role genuinely engaging.
“No two days are the same, and it keeps things interesting.”
It’s a small detail, but it says something important about how EDL approaches its people. They didn’t try to change who Samantha is, instead , they gave her space to figure out how her way of thinking could become an asset.
What belonging actually looks like
Ask Samantha when she knew EDL was the right place for her, and she doesn’t point to a promotion or a project milestone. She talks about the people.
“The people I work with are great at what they do, and they know how to keep things fun. There’s always a bit of humour, an inside joke, or a funny story that comes out of each day. There’s a good balance between getting things done and having a laugh along the way.”
That kind of culture is harder to build than any system. And harder to replace.
Growing into yourself
The most honest part of Samantha’s story might have nothing to do with the award or the global project. It’s this: she joined EDL as a shy, quiet 20-year-old who had never worked in a corporate environment.
Nine and a half years later, she leads international projects, manages cross-functional stakeholders, and drives conversations with teams across three continents.
“EDL has provided me with the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, take on new challenges, and build the confidence to lead conversations.”
That kind of growth happens when a workplace keeps choosing to stretch its people rather than keep them comfortable.
Samantha’s story isn’t a one-off. WORK180 data shows that 60% of promotions at EDL in the last 12 months went to women; nearly double the 31% average across the mining, resources and energy industry, and well above the 38% average across all WORK180 endorsed employers.
“EDL has provided me with the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, take on new challenges, and build the confidence to lead conversations.”
– Samantha Peters
That kind of growth happens when a workplace keeps choosing to stretch its people rather than keep them comfortable.
Samantha’s story isn’t a one-off. WORK180 data shows that 60% of promotions at EDL in the last 12 months went to women; nearly double the 31% average across the mining, resources and energy industry, and well above the 38% average across all WORK180 endorsed employers.
Looking ahead
Samantha isn’t slowing down. With EDL’s Oracle journey still in its early stages, she’s focused on building a more integrated, data-driven HR function that genuinely works for the people using it.
“There are a lot of opportunities to shape our processes and deliver real improvements to the employee experience. I’m excited to see where we can take it.”
She wants to get the technology right. She wants it to feel intuitive for the people it serves. And she’s clearly just getting started.
