The Power of Mentorship

As women take their careers to the next level and carve out new paths to achieve success, it’s crucial that they have role models to look up to and learn from on the path to leadership. This has been especially important over the past year, as many consider that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted working women far more so than their male counterparts. So, perhaps more than ever before, women truly need effective mentors and networks to help them navigate the changing work environment, and support their progress.

Even before the specific issues created by the pandemic, companies were starting to offer new ways to support women through training, educational, equality and mentorship programs.

At Tradeweb, employees leverage internal programs, including our Global Women’s Network and our Global Mentoring Program, to connect with other women professionals. These programs are great ways for female employees to hone their leadership skills, asking the tough questions that help determine career direction beyond the work they already do and value they already add.

Making an impact

For Meghan Clark, access to strong female mentors at Tradeweb proved to be invaluable to her career development early on. With little knowledge of finance and markets, and with a background in marketing and advertising, Meghan was unfamiliar with the industry. Having access to high-achieving and highly empathetic female executives allowed her the space to learn, question, and develop from an early stage in her career. These senior leaders quickly became Meghan’s role models and mentors, offering her advice, support and the motivation she needed to tackle the challenges that lay ahead.

With their support, Meghan felt empowered to speak up, learn from her mistakes and identify the skills she needed to take her career one step further. Her mentors provided her with a hands-on learning experience, giving Meghan the chance to participate in sales meetings, visit trading floors and shadow other executives in different areas of the business. These experiences not only gave Meghan further insight into the business functions and processes overall, but also helped her become more comfortable as she grew into her current role on Tradeweb’s Dealer Sales team.

Not just a one-way street

For both men and women professionals of all ages, having a strong support system of both formal and informal mentors is often extremely beneficial for personal and professional growth. But it’s not just a one-way street: mentors can also learn a lot from their mentees. Volunteering as a mentor can help more experienced professionals build on their communications, leadership and management skills, hone in on their business knowledge, and create meaningful long-term work relationships with capable, and bright talent.

At Tradeweb, and elsewhere, mentorship provides very real value in many forms, and is an incredible way to collaborate, learn and grow alongside one another.

Click here to learn more about the interal programs offered at Tradeweb.