Protégé, Micro Focus team up for mentoring program

For a second consecutive year, Protégé and Micro Focus have partnered to run a mentoring program to support the advancement of women in leadership. The Protégé development program matches talented and motivated women with senior executives of any gender.

To date, the program has seen more than 1200 young women leaders receive one-to-one mentoring, skills building and networking opportunities with 600 executive mentors. In 2021, the program will match 40 high-potential female mentees with 40 experienced mentors sourced from Australia’s most successful corporate leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and industry trailblazers.

As part of the program, companies nominate potential mentors of any gender and women mentees. Protégé then matches mentees with mentors, then manages the framework of the mentoring program. Mentors volunteer their time to further advance women leaders.

Sara Evans, Marketing Director (Asia Pacific & Japan) at Micro Focus, said the company helped bring this program to Australia in 2020, noting that the disruption of COVID-19 made it difficult for people working remotely to have the same opportunities to network and meet new people.

“This program is unique, matching mentors and mentees from across various industries and organisations. This program is an innovative way to help people create and maintain connections in new ways, while supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives,” said Evans.

Mentoring is crucial for personal and career development, while creating a framework and formalising the mentoring program benefits mentors and mentees. Providing support for participants with interactive development workshops and networking events encourages innovation and offers opportunities for personal and career development. The program also supports organisations that don’t have the in-house resources available to provide comprehensive mentoring systems.

Throughout the program, mentees will have opportunities to build their own support network of peers and senior executives who can advise them on how to manage their personal and business challenges. The program will also help mentors become practised at mentoring and open doors for their mentees, giving back to the community.

Applications to the Protégé Sydney Women Leaders 2021 Mentoring Program will be open until 28 February, with the program to run until November 2021.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sergey Nivens