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Recent Mentee Feedback
It is always difficult to attribute cause and effect and many factors are at play in people’s career progress. Nonetheless, feedback from our Mentees demonstrates over and over again their belief that discussions with their Mentors make an important contribution to later successes:
"The Programme has made such a difference for me. My Mentor is a perfect person – it really worked. I can’t tell you how great the Programme is; it really, really encourages people to think about their potential."
Martina Kay, Head of Human Resources, Global Asset Management, UBS
"I have seen my mentor twice and we have had two quite detailed conversations about the next steps for me and leadership and taking on the new role. He has probed and challenged me to think about it and to think about it in a very different way. He’s also made some observations which no one else has ever made and his short intervention at a key stage has made an enormous difference! I am going to relish my next meeting with him as I face the enormous challenge ahead."
Leona Ahmed, Partner, Addleshaw Goddard LLP
"Being part of the FTSE 100® Cross-Company Mentoring Programme gave me the confidence to reach for what a year ago would have seemed like an unattainable goal. My Mentor has been a fantastic sounding board and gave me some great advice and encouragement. He had confidence in me at times when I was having trouble finding it within myself. So I am another success story for the Programme! I have always felt privileged to be part of it; a member of a very special club. I am now further proof that it achieves great results. Thank you so much."
Angela Pearson, Partner, Ashurst LLP
"Having only joined the FTSE Programme a few months ago I am extremely impressed with how The Mentoring Foundation operates. My initial meetings with my Mentor have been invaluable in terms of personal learning and development – focused, challenging, educational and very engaging. The work of this organisation sets the standard for networking, connectivity and career development. It’s a real privilege to be part of this exceptional group of Mentors and Mentees."
Penelope Biggs, Executive Vice President, Northern Trust
"The Programme is going very well with my Mentor and I appreciate his time and advice. We have worked out a good schedule in the diary for 6 months. He always asks "e;how can I help you more?" He is so kind. He’s been giving me advice. He’s very straightforward – that’s a good thing. He’s open and sincere; there’s no more I can ask for. We meet for a conversation – an hour, or an hour and a half. We consider how things are going, what are the challenges. "Why is shale gas a big deal?" We have interesting conversations, you enjoy it and you get benefit from it. You have to do it face-to-face. No way could you do it by telephone. It’s a very good programme; it’s the connection between two people from different sectors. I am really enjoying it."
Louisa Cheang, Group General Manager, Regional Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, HSBC Holdings plc
"I am getting a huge amount from my meetings with my Mentor. We have covered subjects from how to maximise my personal productivity, how to manage some major reorganisations and people changes, how to get the balance right between what is done in a business entity vs. what is done by Group, to name a few. So in conclusion, I’m very happy – he really is fantastic."
Jill Easterbrook, Director, Developing Business, Tesco Stores Ltd
"We’re doing really well – we meet every 4 to 6 weeks. Such a well-connected, experienced, calm and thoughtful Mentor – it’s been really, really good. We’ve been in regular email contact too, and he’s been here to see me and has met people. He’s been brilliant. He’s very well prepared for each meeting, and has a set of points he wants to make, and tasks for me. The Programme has been wonderful!"
Yvonne Sonsino, Partner, Growth & Innovation Leader, Mercer LLC
"I took my Mentor to lunch last week as a small way of saying a very sincere and deep thank you to him for all he has done as my Mentor. We have agreed to "keep in touch" which I am thrilled about, even though the formal part of the Programme now concludes. Without the Programme, and his constant ‘prodding’ I doubt I would ever have given my career the time and priority required, not approached it so thoughtfully. I am inordinately grateful to you!"
Elizabeth Corley, Chief Executive Officer, Allianz Global Investors
"As my time on the FTSE 100® Cross-Company Mentoring Programme draws to an end I just wanted to thank you for your commitment, organisation and passion for the Programme. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with my Mentor and I am sure he will be able to help other ambitious women in the coming years."
Tara Davies, Senior Managing Director, Macquarie Capital (Europe) Ltd
"I’ve found the FTSE Programme very, very useful. My Mentor comes at things from a different angle. He’s very analytical and thoughtful about it and is realistic about what is achievable. It’s a really useful experience. I’ve gained a huge amount of confidence in the past year. I think the Network is superb; that is a very big plus as well. The Unilever Mentee Network – it’s a nice group – nobody seems to need to score points off each other. Perhaps for me the best is the relatively informal side – the networking and the discussion. You need a core of substance to hang that on, but it would be a mistake to make them too content heavy – not a series of modules!"
Elizabeth Lee, General Counsel, Close Brothers Group plc
"I feel very privileged to have been offered an opportunity to participate in this fantastic Programme. The opportunity to learn from a first class Mentor who has proven experience of operating effectively at senior levels across the Financial Services landscape is invaluable and it’s already helping me focus on different aspects of my own performance. The wider aspects of the Programme to drive interaction between a community of senior women and prominent business leaders is something I am keen to delve further into."
Christine Palmer, Chief Risk Officer, Corporate Banking Division, Royal Bank of Scotland plc
"I have just started on the FTSE Programme, and am really looking forward to the opportunity to broaden my professional network. To be given the chance to work with a senior external Mentor is a real privilege and I am sure it will give me new insights into my own development."
Karin Cook, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Banking, Lloyds Bank plc
"The FTSE 100® Cross-Company Mentoring Programme provides me with unique opportunities to build a relationship with a high calibre, very experienced Mentor and learn from a cohort of fellow Mentees with similar career goals, but with a huge range of different experiences and career backgrounds. I also look forward to the Programme providing me with the space, and impetus, to take the due time to focus on my current performance, and my longer-term ambitions."
Sonya Branch, Executive Director, Enforcement, and Board member, Competition and Markets Authority
"The most impactful benefit for me has been the interaction with my Mentor. We have shared and compared the trajectory of our respective careers. We have had fascinating discussions across a broad range of topics – from the future direction of the economy to the disruptive impact of new technologies and outcomes for corporate governance. At a personal level, I have benefited greatly from the advice and sponsorship of my Mentor as I look to shape the future direction of my career."
Diane Eshleman, Chief Procurement Officer, Barclays plc
"I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to participate in the FTSE 100® Cross-Company Mentoring Programme. I am excited about the prospect of learning from a pretty special combination of events and mentoring, with some of the most talented and experienced business practitioners in the land; as well as becoming part of a stretching, yet supportive, network."
Sarah Warby, Marketing Director, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd
"It was really enjoyable to hear others’ thoughts on a variety of topics relating to women in senior roles, and interesting to hear the commonality that exists across different industry sectors. The hosts of the dinner were extremely open with us around their own careers, which was very much appreciated. This was an excellent first event for me, and I look forward to attending others in the future."
Karin Cook, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Banking, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking
"I’m not a person that seeks the limelight, I prefer to influence in the background. The FTSE 100® Cross-Company Mentoring Programme chimes with me because it is discreet and in the background. I spend my life listening and advising other people, so to have someone listen to me, and help me will be so helpful."
Aileen Taylor, Group Secretary and Head of Corporate Governance, Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc
"My Mentor gave me multi-dimensional ‘nudging’ in the right direction, and he made me think about my marketing plan for myself. I am delighted to see how this whole initiative has grown into something that is really robust and sustainable."
Ruth Cairnie, NED ABF plc, NED Keller Group plc, NED Rolls-Royce plc
"My Mentor has allowed me, through listening, to speak. He says to me: "Joanna, I hear all that you say but none of it is in your CV!" With him I did a lot of work on that. He is affirming and tells me I have a lot to offer, which is very empowering. He is also introducing me to important connections such as other Chairs and headhunters."
Joanna Mackle, Deputy Director, The British Museum
"The more I stay the Programme the more I realise how wonderful it really is."
Karen Green, Chief Executive Officer, Aspen Insurance UK Ltd & Aspen Managing Agency Ltd
"My Mentor and I ‘held hands’ all through. We were so different – we looked at each other and thought ‘bloody hell!’ We are so different, but within 10 minutes we knew it was going to work. It’s made me think, and realise I can do more. Thank you so much!"
Pip McCrostie, Global Head of TAS, Ernst & Young LLP
"I can honestly say that the wisdom, insight and confidence which being part of your scheme has given me certainly helped me approach the request to take on this role with a lot more enthusiasm (as opposed to terror) than may have been the case if I hadn’t had the privilege from benefiting from my Mentor’s wise words and also the support of the Mentee Network. I hope I can be another of your success stories, it certainly feels that I am on the right path, and I hope to be able to continue to draw on the wisdom and support of my Mentor and everybody else I have met as I take on this role. Thank you for all of your help, and for giving me the confidence to believe in myself and my abilities."
Helen Burton, Global Head of Financial Institutions and Funds, Ashurst LLP
"The mentoring with my Mentor is going very well. He manages to be supportive and challenging – a perfect combination!"
Jayne Styles, Chief Investment Officer, Amlin plc
"I have to say that our meetings (roughly every 2 months) are a joy for me; I look forward to them, prepare as much as possible and always benefit from our discussions. I find myself replaying our discussion for some days afterwards and working through the best applications of his comments. My Mentor often surprises me with his perspective – I relish that lack of ‘predictability’ – and I appreciate his genuine interest in supporting me whether on executive topics or contributing to my voyage towards fulfilling an NED role. At the start we both wondered about any potential issues from sharing the same sector, but on balance I find his extensive insight of considerable value to me, as a relative newcomer. I am really very grateful to Peninah for matching us."
Eva Eisenschimmel, Group Marketing & Brands Director, Lloyds Banking Group plc
"I generally suggest a topic of interest and then we chat about it. It is very helpful and I enjoy our sessions – I always come away with good ideas. I really value our sessions."
Alison McFadyen, Head of Audit, West and Group Functions and Risk Group Internal Audit, Standard Chartered plc
"I have nothing but positive things to say about my Mentor. He has been very generous with his time – both our formal mentoring sessions and informal (dining!) networking. He has been very good at introducing me to interesting people who can give me an insight into wider career opportunities. He is challenging, but also fun and personable. It’s been a pleasure."
Sharon White, Second Permanent Secretary (Finance), HM Treasury
"All’s going well. My new role has worked out wonderfully. I have talked this through with my Mentor. We are thinking about how the new Governor will play the changes; we’ve talked about how X and Y are jostling for position. He (my Mentor) has almost taught me enough so that I don’t need him. At the beginning (2 years ago) I was learning every time, but the relationship teaches you how to do it yourself. Is this what you call moving from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence? It’s an affirmation rather than a nudge. It’s a transfer of knowledge."
Sarah Breeden, Head of Markets, Sectors and Interlinkages Division (MSID) – Financial Stability, Bank of England