Mentoring Program - Women in Banking and Finance (WiBF)

The key objective is to support the professional development of these women and the retention of their skills within the industry.

The WiBF Mentoring Program is a flagship program in WiBF’s offering and has been running annually since 2007. The program aims to support the meaningful development of gender-balanced leadership in the Australian banking and finance sector. Much more than just mentoring, the program provides participants with an incredibly rich curriculum that includes psychometric and personal strengths identification tools, leadership development workshops and relevant education on diversity and inclusion. Find out more about the program structure and content in this video with Program Director Maud Lindley.

Expressions of interest for the 2022 Mentoring Program are now open with registrations for our next program commencing in April 2022. We are pleased to be able to offer a virtual cohort again to enable members right across Australia to participate PLUS we hope to offer a face-to-face option in Sydney (subject to demand). Please register your interest for this program by emailing the WiBF office.

Mentoring Program at a Glance

The program facilitates a mentoring relationship between professional women in middle to senior management, with more experienced individuals in the industry (both men and women) who have a passion and genuine interest in mentoring.

Over the course of 5 months, mentees and mentors participate in relevant workshops and networking events, as well as a number of one-to-one mentoring sessions. Participants are matched according to their level of seniority, area of expertise, personality and learning styles.

The skillful pairing process has given the program a unique reputation for achieving consistent successful outcomes for both mentees and mentors. Each year the diversity, level of experience and calibre of the people involved ensures a matching process of the highest quality.

What are the qualifying criteria? What is the time commitment? What are the key benefits? Keep reading for the answers to these questions and more.

What are the qualifying criteria for mentors and mentees?

Mentees may be women employed by a WiBF corporate member or an individual member of WiBF. They must meet at least three of the following requirements:

Minimum of 10 years’ professional experience
Currently managing a team
Aspiring to a senior leadership position in the near future
A clear agenda to work with an external mentor and her objectives relate to the enhancement of strategic skills, stakeholder engagement and/or development of her leadership profile
No more than 4 levels below CEO

Ideally, participants will be in a management role and looking at avenues to develop their career either laterally or towards a more senior leadership position.

Mentors may be female or male, but must meet three of the following criteria:

20 years’ professional experience
Hold a senior executive level role in their business, typically no more than 2-3 levels below CEO
Significant experience at a strategic leadership level
Prior successful informal or formal mentoring experience

What is the time commitment for the Program?

The commitment that is required from mentors and mentees for the duration of the program includes:

Attendance at 2 events and 4 workshops
Mentors will meet their mentees approximately 6 to 8 times during the program

Pairing of mentors and mentees

Each mentee is paired with a mentor from another organisation. The benefits associated with a matching process across the banking and finance industry are numerous. Mentors can provide:

A fresh, different perspective
A ‘safer’ space to discuss challenges
Relevant expertise and understanding of the specific challenges and culture of this industry

KEY FEATURES & BENEFITS:

Highly experiential, interactive workshops for mentees
Facilitated mentor sessions
Highly rigorous matching process
HBDI® – the worldwide standard for measuring thinking preferences & brain dominance
Personal support by executive coaches
Comprehensive support material for mentors and mentees

For Mentees:

A trust-based, open and direct conversation with a leader who challenges thinking supportively
An experienced outside perspective free from bias or conflicting interests 
Advice on how to progress their careers, position their brands and enhance leadership acumen
Enhancement of soft skills, leadership competencies and confidence
Feedback on how to implement positive changes and overcome challenges
A broader network with peers and industry leaders

For Mentors:

Enhance their inclusive leadership capabilities and awareness, triggered by their mentee’s perspectives in addition to shared discussion forums with industry peers 
Satisfaction in ‘giving back’
Collaboration and networking with industry peers
Develop a practical understanding of how to create a more balanced culture in their organisations and the broader sector in order to provide equal opportunities for women and men in leadership.

For Organisations:

Enhanced learning, leading to improved performance for employees 
Knowledge transfer from experienced leaders to less experienced 
Retention of key people 
Progress towards creating a culture of inclusion.

What Alumni have said

This is different to internal mentoring programs I have been involved in as there is no risk opening up to my mentor. She has provided great advice and tips, particularly around ‘how to network without networking!’ The frameworks provided through the workshops have been a fantastic foundation for my mentoring sessions.”

Testimonial

What Alumni have said

My mentor is very enthusiastic! We are both direct and open and we established this up front. We have worked a lot on leadership qualities and managing people. He has shared lots of gems of wisdom on how to manage people effectively. He has risen to his role because he is a great people leader not just because of his technical brilliance”

Testimonial

What Alumni have said

My mentor is brilliant and has provided invaluable advice at a crucial moment in my career. He is helping me reframe some of my conversations with key stakeholders to make them less emotional, less personal and position my arguments in the light of the firm’s overall strategy. This is a very valuable learning that will potentially allow a shift in my career”

Testimonial

What Alumni have said

I am absolutely loving the program. My mentor and I have been very well matched and he is providing a very different perspective. Specifically, he is helping me deal with some frequent feedback I receive about being too direct or aggressive. His advice is proving to be very valuable”

Testimonial

What Alumni have said

A useful program, which forces participants to take the time to focus on their careers and life priorities. It was really great to focus on leadership strengths through positive reinforcement as all too often in performance review and promotions we are backward focused”

Testimonial

Mentoring Program Director

WiBF has partnered with Serendis for over a decade to deliver our WiBF Mentoring For Success program. Maud Lindley, founding director of Serendis, brings a deep working knowledge of the banking and finance sector to the program. Her background as an investment banker coupled with her credentials in psychology and coaching ensures that participants in the program are guided through their development with sensitivity and empathy.

How to Apply

For Corporate Members seeking to register mentoring pairs from your organisation and individuals seeking to register as a mentor or mentee in the next WiBF Mentoring Program – please email the WiBF Office to express interest.

Please note that participants will be invoiced at a cost of $6,000 + GST upon acceptance of their registration.