Mentorship and sponsorship play pivotal roles in nurturing talent, fostering growth, and opening doors to new opportunities. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just beginning your career journey, understanding the nuances of these relationships can make all the difference in achieving your goals.
Join us as we hear from some incredible women and discover how mentorship and sponsorship through their employers have been pivotal on their journey to a thriving career.
Uncover practical strategies, real-life stories, and actionable insights to help you navigate and thrive in your own professional endeavors – and discover some incredible new employers along the way.
The right mentors help you make your mark
“I’ve been with the organization for over nine years and can talk highly of the supportive, collaborative, and empowering culture it promotes. Cisco is a true advocate of mentoring relationships.”
Suman Khanna (pictured left) is a Customer Experience and Customer Success Specialist with Cisco. Below, she shares more about her mentoring experiences in the workplace and the success they’ve helped her achieve.
Can you share more about your mentorship experiences at CISCO and how they have supported your career?
I’ve been fortunate to have a great mentor in my previous manager, Kerri Weir. The role she played in my professional development was significant. Kerri encouraged me to define my goals and work towards them. As well as introducing me to valuable resources, Kerri shared insights into her life lessons navigating a male-dominated industry. This definitely helped me overcome obstacles and pursue my ambitions wholeheartedly.
How has mentoring helped your role at CISCO?
The mentorship I’ve received has helped me better understand the CISCO landscape and guided me toward skills that aid my role. This has included the art of stakeholder management and expanding my network through events and training opportunities. It’s also helped me develop my confidence, speak up at work, and be authentic on a personal level.
What advice would you offer other women considering seeking mentorship?
Navigating your career when unsure of where you’re going can be daunting. Having a trusted advisor in the form of a mentor can give you much-needed reassurance. My advice would be to proactively seek opportunities to learn from your mentor. Be open, honest, and never shy away from taking constructive criticism.
“Mentoring programs provided invaluable insights into various aspects of leadership, helped me reflect and understand my values in the workplace, and also provided the opportunity to network with colleagues from other markets.”
Yifei Dai is a Financial Planning & Analysis Manager with Philip Morris. When she was promoted to her current role, she had the opportunity to take part in two core mentorship programs with the company to help prepare her and support her leadership development. She shares more about why these programs gave her the confidence to lead her new team.
Tell us more about the mentorship programs you’ve attended at Philip Morris.
Last year, I was promoted to a people manager role within finance and had the opportunity to participate in two mentorship programs, License to Lead and Elevate.
License to Lead is a leadership development program that aims to cultivate the right mindset, skills, and behaviors for people managers. As a newly promoted manager with three direct reports, this program helped me develop the skills to step into the role confidently.
The Elevate Program is focused on the growth and development of female colleagues to help us drive our career and personal growth. This program helped me network with fellow female colleagues and share my personal struggles as a female leader and how to overcome them in a safe space.
What advice would you offer other women considering a structured mentorship program?
I would definitely recommend participating in these programs and keeping open dialogue with your line manager so they can understand your development goals and find the right tools to support you.
“If you feel uncomfortable or nervous around a mentor, perhaps they aren’t the right one for you – find someone with whom you feel right at home!”
Eliza Brookes is an Area Sales Manager with Ampol Limited and part of their Women Inspiring Fresh Ideas (WIFI) Committee. She has previously taken part in Ampol’s mentorship program and shares how this has helped her explore new opportunities:
What was your mentorship program like, and what was your experience of being partnered with a mentor?
I was paired with my mentor through the Mentoring@Ampol Program in 2022. From the outset, I was so glad to have been paired with my mentor. We instantly connected on a personal level, which meant I felt comfortable sharing my professional and personal goals with her early on. She was eager to hear about my skills, experience, and interests to help me firm up my professional development plan.
What have you gained from the experience reflecting on the program?
My mentor helped me identify areas I needed more exposure to before I sought new opportunities, and she connected me to new contacts within the business to broaden my network. Having been with the company for over twenty years, her extensive experience across sales, commercial, and strategic roles aligned with how I intend to grow and pursue my career, so her guidance has been only positive and reassuring as I work to establish my career further.
The power of mentorship? It’s all about the relationships
“I found like-minded people, invested in those relationships, and naturally, found myself in some amazing circles.”
Dee Fitzgerald is an Operations Manager with Primary Connect, part of the Woolworths Group. She’s been fortunate to find mentorship relationships with both women and men in the workplace, and these relationships have helped her go from strength to strength.
What have been your mentorship experiences with Primary Connect so far in your career?
From my experience at Primary Connect, I have had the opportunity to work at the Automated Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre and then be relocated to Sydney to help open their new Automated Moorebank National Distribution Centre.
I have been fortunate to work for some amazing women in my career and men who understand the value of diversity in Supply Chain. My experience is that most successful women actively seek out and offer additional support and mentorship.
What role has mentorship played in developing relationships in the workplace for you?
Through the mentoring I’ve received, I’ve learned new systems, challenged standard ways of working, and empowered other women to take the same opportunities. Once you’ve experienced a true mentor, you are empowered to continue this legacy and help those around you. Even to this day, I hold dearly to those relationships, past and present, that gave me the time and space to grow in my career.
“To develop stronger relationships, we must open up about our lives outside of work. We must invest much time and energy in getting to know each other, but the investment is worth it. The trick is to move beyond assumptions based on each other’s backgrounds to seek out common values, beliefs, and experiences.”
Estelle Marianne, Director, Customer and Growth, Consulting with EY, has experienced first-hand the power of mentorship to create connections and empower relationships in the workplace. Below, she offers her advice and guidance for anyone reflecting on the role of mentorship beyond individual support.
Tell us more about your personal experiences of mentorship and sponsorship and what this has meant to you.
A few years ago, I read an article in the Harvard Business Review that stated that “women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored.”
Mentorship, where one can receive advice, support, and coaching, is a great starting point, but it’s essential to continue developing the relationship into authentic sponsorship, which includes public advocacy.
I signed up for some of EY’s mentoring and sponsorship programs, including our Culturally Diverse Mentoring Program and Elevate. This global program provides on-the-job leadership skills, career development, coaching, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Across these programs, I reflected on my relationships and chose a few to evolve into authentic sponsorships.
What role can mentorships play in developing authentic relationships in the workplace?
We become who we are with help and support from those around us, and we all yearn for authenticity in our significant relationships. This also applies to our developmental relationships in the workplace. I’ve developed lasting friendships, stronger connections, and aspiring role models through mentoring.
Mentorship & sponsorship can open doors
“Most sponsors and mentors are focused on YOU and your interpersonal skills rather than just credentials.”
Hayley Britton, a Graduate Project Planner based at Alstom’s Milperra site in Sydney, NSW, shares how sponsorship opened a wide door of opportunity for her when there wasn’t one.
How did you go about applying for sponsorship to start your career?
I applied when I was in Year 12, thinking ‘why not?’. I had to meet various criteria and attend an interview, which I was nervous about. I knew I wasn’t the smartest or had any connections to engineering, but I had nothing to lose.
I could speak about my hobbies, such as creative writing, and the adversity I faced growing up as a woman in a more disadvantaged area wanting to pursue more than what was on offer to her there and how this shaped my thinking and interactions.
How has the sponsorship benefitted your career so far?
This sponsorship has provided me with many invaluable opportunities, namely industry connections. Coming from a lower socioeconomic background, it was much easier to break into university and the industry with this targeted assistance and guidance.
What advice would you offer others considering applying for sponsorship?
Just go for it; apply even if you don’t think you’re good enough. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. It will be tough navigating being a woman in STEM, but it is worth it to be established in your career and proud of your achievements.
Mentorship can be formal & informal: find what works for you
“I have to emphasize that while my mentor played an important role, the supportive community of women at Thales further enriched my experience.”
Mildred Sin (pictured second from left above) is the Graduate Bids and Project Manager with Thales. She attended Thales’ Engineering Early Careers Program and learned the value of strong mentorship. But she wants everyone to know that mentorship comes in many shapes and sizes.
What have your mentorship experiences looked like with Thales Group?
Being part of Thales’ Engineering Early Careers Program gave me the invaluable opportunity to work with an experienced mentor guiding me through my initial steps into the workforce. Their encouragement during moments of doubt and exposure to different perspectives help shape my career goals.
I’ve also learned mentorship isn’t limited to formal arrangements. Sometimes, finding the right mentor might not happen immediately, and that’s okay. In contrast, I’ve gained multiple ‘unofficial mentors’ by stepping out of my comfort zone to connect with new peers. These connections have been invaluable to my personal and professional development.
What advice would you offer to others needing help creating mentorship opportunities outside of formal programs?
It might feel daunting to reach out initially, but I’ve discovered most people are super open and appreciative of a simple invitation for a coffee chat. It all begins with a friendly hello! My unofficial mentors have been incredible, and learning from them has made tackling challenges and finding joy in my work way easier.
“Mentorship has allowed me to learn from others, leverage other people’s extensive knowledge, and build off that rather than have to start from scratch.”
Aparna Balanarayanan, a Process Engineer with Nufarm at their 2,4 D plant, shares more about the ways mentorship has supported their development across the different domains of their personal and professional life.
In what ways has mentorship aided your personal and professional career journey?
I was fortunate enough to be offered technical mentorship from my predecessors in this role, and I am grateful to have access to them and ongoing mentorship. We frequently discuss technical matters while I receive leadership and more work-related mentorship from my direct manager. At Nufarm, we value each employee’s growth, and our managers make a real effort to mentor us for career progression.
From your experience, how can people tap into mentorship in their workplaces?
My advice is to always have an open mindset when receiving mentorship. Mentorship doesn’t necessarily need to happen formally; being open to learning from someone at all times gives you the opportunity to have better relationships with people of varying experiences.
What have been the most significant benefits of mentorships you’ve gained?
I think mentorship has opened up new pathways of learning that I didn’t expect to get. It’s given me the ability to learn new concepts, whether technical, leadership, or people skill-related. One of the most essential parts of mentorship is that you don’t feel like you have to start your journey on your own from the first step. You get this massive advantage from people sharing their knowledge and career lessons.
Mentorship doesn’t just have to be about ‘work’
“Mentorship opened doors I didn’t even know were there. It not only helped me manage and deal with the day-to-day from a work point of view, but I also met people and contacts who could support our son and his health and provide guidance for us as parents.”
Angela Saville, Customer Success Team Manager with Softcat, sought out mentorship when life went up a level, and she struggled to find the best way forward for her career and her family. Her experiences highlight that mentoring doesn’t just have to be about your job—it can help you in many other positive ways.
How has mentoring helped you gain clarity as a professional and a parent?
I worked for my previous organization for twenty-seven years and was one of the first women in sales then. During that time, it was impossible to have both a career of my magnitude and a family. I sought a professional mentor outside the industry to understand how they juggled family life with wanting a job.
My partner, Rupert, and I had to juggle parenthood between the two of us, and that meant childcare. When Rupert wanted to step off the financial services treadmill and start his own business, I didn’t know whether I wanted to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. At that time, I was traveling the world and managing a pan-European contract out of Paris. It sounds glamorous, but reality stepped in, and my mentor helped me understand that I wanted to be home every night, reading the kids a story and tucking them up in bed.
They helped me realize that being at home full-time would never be enough for me, but I could have both.
What’s been the biggest benefit for you from mentorship?
I learned how to juggle life and not feel so alone on my quest to trail braze in the industry for other women who effectively wanted it all. I made it, and now, at fifty-three, I don’t regret a single day of my journey. There have been many bumps in the road, the biggest being our son’s diagnosis of an incurable brain tumor and condition at twelve, but again, we manage this through the relationships I’ve developed. My work is a constant and a joy in my life.
What would you say to other women considering mentorship for life and work?
Do it! It will open your world and perspective. Sometimes, we become too obsessed with our own thoughts—it’s good to seek advice and support and to know you’re not alone.
