18th March marked a significant milestone for our Elevate Women in Tech community as we hosted our International Women’s Day event focused on “How Mentorship Can Transform Your Career.” The 90-minute session brought together industry leaders, mentorship advocates, and women at various stages of their tech careers to explore how mentoring relationships can be the catalyst for professional growth and advancement.
The event, which attracted participants from across the UK and beyond, centred on practical strategies for finding mentors, building effective mentoring relationships, and leveraging these connections to accelerate action in one’s career – perfectly aligned with this year’s International Women’s Day theme.
The heart of our event was an insightful panel discussion featuring leaders who have experienced mentorship from both sides of the relationship:
Binita Patel, Head of Portfolio Operations at HSBC Net Digital, brought over 25 years of experience in the banking technology sector. Bini shared powerful personal stories about how mentorship directly influenced her career trajectory, including one particularly impactful moment when a mentor helped her recognise her own worth: “She opened my eyes… I calculated what I’d lost because I hadn’t ever asked. So that example quickly was: I asked, and I got. And not only did I get, I got a better role because I had the so-called balls to ask for that pay.”
Professor Vince Pizzoni from Nottingham University, a serial STEM mentor who has supported over 1,000 individuals throughout his 40-year career spanning 60+ countries, described mentorship as a “magic relationship.” His perspective on mentorship being a two-way street resonated deeply: “The mentor-mentee relationship is very much a magic relationship… when somebody who’s not associated with that relationship walks into the room and doesn’t know which is the mentor and which is the mentee, right, because there is so much two-way conversation.”
Natasha Barker, Domain Architect at Matalan and alumni of our ElevateHer programme, shared how mentorship from our program gave her the confidence to drive organisational change: “Without that push from my mentor, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to actually voice [my ideas for new ways of working]… Now that’s led to me being part of that journey, which is really exciting, and helping shape what that future looks like for our team.”
Lydia Hawthorn, Delivery Director at C Prime and co-founder of ElevateHER, offered insights from both her personal experience and from running our mentorship programme: “I think quite often when we talk about diversity, we talk about inclusivity, we talk about equity in the workplace, it makes it sound like it’s huge, gigantic strategic initiatives… but it doesn’t have to be the big stuff that feels really overwhelming. It can be taking small incremental baby steps.”
Our panellists shattered several myths about mentorship while providing actionable advice:
One recurring theme was that mentors often exist in our immediate circles without formal labels. As Bini noted, “Mentors can sometimes be staring you in the face and you don’t realise it.” From colleagues and conference connections to family members and reverse mentoring from younger professionals, meaningful guidance can come from diverse sources.
Vince advocated for maintaining multiple mentoring relationships: “I would recommend having at least two mentors, one in the company and one outside… The internal one will help you navigate internally, but you need an external one because you still need to know what’s going on outside an organisation.”
Our panel discussed how the pandemic has transformed mentoring relationships. Natasha highlighted the unexpected benefits of virtual mentoring: “The advantage that brings is that you might have a mentor that you would never have interacted with… If anything, I think it meant that we could actually make more time for it because we could go straight from one meeting into a mentoring session without needing to travel.”
While acknowledging the challenges of building trust in virtual environments, the consensus was that with proper preparation and commitment, virtual mentoring can be equally effective.
The panel emphasised that successful mentorship is largely driven by the mentee. Natasha advised: “You’ve got to be the one that drives the conversation, the agenda… If you don’t come with what you actually want to get out of the sessions, the mentor isn’t going to know what direction to take that conversation in.”
Preparation, respect for the mentor’s time, and providing feedback were highlighted as crucial elements of a productive mentoring relationship.
Vince offered a compelling perspective on why men should consider mentoring women in tech: “Women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored. This is maybe where men, certainly in senior positions, can help… It’s very often the men in organisations that hold the keys to the door or know where the keys are.”
The panel agreed that cross-gender mentoring relationships can be particularly valuable in industries where women remain underrepresented in leadership positions.
Perhaps the most powerful moments came when discussing concrete outcomes of mentorship. Binny shared how she recently mentored a female engineer who, after gaining confidence through their sessions, successfully negotiated two years of back pay and a promotion.
Lydia shared success stories from our current ElevateHer cohort, including one mentee who applied for her first non-executive director role and another who won a global “most inspiring women” award with her mentor’s support.
These examples reinforced research showing that mentored individuals are five times more likely to be promoted and 20% more likely to receive a pay increase.
We’re thrilled to announce that applications are now open for Cohort 4 of our award-winning ElevateHer leadership mentoring programme. Building on the success of our previous cohorts, which have supported 117 women across six countries, we’re offering 50 places to women with at least five years of industry experience who are either in leadership positions or poised to take that next step.
The six-month programme includes:
Applications are open until 20th April, with successful applicants being notified by 4th May. The programme is provided at no cost to participants, thanks to funding through Halzak.
Register your application today:
Mentor Sign up: https://forms.office.com/e/8JFPFV59KZ
Mentee Sign up: https://forms.office.com/e/MUycYtS4t7
We’re also excited to announce the upcoming launch of our Elevate Community Platform – a digital space designed to foster connections, share resources, and create opportunities for women in tech and their allies. The platform will feature:
As the founder of Halzak and the Elevate Women in Tech community, my mission stems from personal experience. Having been “that only woman in the room” during my corporate career, I understand the challenges faced by underrepresented talent. Through Halzak, we’re dedicated to workplace inclusivity via keynote talks, mentorship programmes, sponsorship initiatives, specialised workshops, and recruitment services that connect forward-thinking companies with diverse tech talent.
Every placement made through Halzak contributes to our broader gender equality mission by supporting the Elevate Women in Tech community. What began as a podcast series has blossomed into a multi-faceted support ecosystem that includes an online community, events, a job board, and our flagship ElevateHer leadership mentoring programme.
Our vision goes beyond professional development – we’re creating a movement where women in tech don’t just survive but thrive, with male allies playing a crucial role in this journey.
As Bini perfectly summarised at the end of our session: “Just do it. As a mentor or mentee, you’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
Whether you’re seeking mentorship to advance your career, ready to share your experience as a mentor, or interested in joining our community platform, now is the time to take that step. The tech industry’s future depends on diverse leadership, and mentorship is a proven pathway to making that vision a reality.
To learn more about Halzak’s services or the Elevate Women in Tech community, connect with me on LinkedIn or email kellie@halzak.com.
Kellie Kwarteng is the founder of Halzak, a tech recruitment company focused on transforming workplace inclusivity, and the Elevate Women in Tech community. With over 20 years of experience supporting the tech industry, Kellie is dedicated to elevating women and girls in tech “from the classroom to the boardroom.”
