I’m not sure when I first experienced mentoring. When I reflect, I’m not sure it was called that back then.

I have been incredibly fortunate in my business life to have had, at all stages, supportive people around me who I have been able to turn to for support and guidance. These people were my mentors. 

Mentoring through my career

With huge support and encouragement from many individuals I grew and developed from a timid school leaver filing bits of paper in the backroom of a high street bank to a senior executive operating as sales director and then chief operating officer in the international wealth management segment of that same bank. 

Training and development were a constant, linked to a commitment from me to gain professional qualifications. When I started in the bank I was asked by the branch manager if I was in this for a job or a career. Honestly, at the time I really didn’t understand the distinction but somehow the answer ‘career’ popped out. I was then instructed to sign up at college to start my banking exams and so my journey properly started.

The mentoring I experienced gave me confidence, challenged my thinking and gave me new ideas. It is difficult to see that I would have progressed as I did without this support.

During my time with the bank as my responsibilities grew, I started leading teams and became a mentor myself. Somewhere in that journey I also was also fortunate to benefit from training as a coach through the business partnership including the pioneer of business coach, John Whitmore. 

Becoming a professional business mentor 

Professionalism has been a core part of my career and values. From operating in senior roles in the last 15 years with two global professional bodies, to becoming a Chartered Director at the Institute of Directors. I’ve also recently chaired the Professionalism work at Memcom, the membership body for membership bodies. Work which champions professionalism throughout all sectors.

I made the leap to business mentoring when the Institute of Directors created a partnership with the Government backed ‘Be the Business’ mentoring scheme and I became part of the mentor team. This was a great way to make the switch from workplace mentoring to business mentoring. The range of industries worked with and types of challenges encountered grew my mentoring skills grew giving me the confidence to get involved outside my ‘home’ sectors.

In 2024 IoD created ‘Mentor Connect’ its own peer to peer mentoring platform for business leaders. I signed up within minutes of seeing the launch. 

Both programmes have been hugely enriching for me. I have learned a whole lot about myself whilst helping others with their journey and have mentored across a variety of sectors as diverse as recruitment, aerospace, industrial manufacturing and tech. It has been hugely rewarding to hear feedback from mentees on the difference it has made to them and to see businesses go from strength to strength. 

Having now stepped back from a full-time executive career I am now focused on developing my mentoring work and am currently enrolled in the ABM’s ILM assured Effective Business Mentoring course. 

Professional business mentoring matters

The impact of professional business mentoring is clear – from the 70% of business leaders who said it improved their mental health and confidence, to the more than 65% who said it led to their growth. 

Over the last few years, the ABM has gone from strength to strength. From supporting and training a community of more than 3,000 professional business mentors, to being invited to co-chair a government backed National Business Mentoring Council. 

The impact and vision of the ABM is what motivated me to join as an ABM Member.

I have experienced the transformative power of mentoring and want to give something back to the business community as a professional mentor.

I am excited and privileged to be part of its next stage of growth and development and look forward to working closely with members over the coming months and years to raise awareness about the significant and positive impact of professional business mentoring across the UK.

Read more in Mark’s bio