Haskayne Professional Mentorship Program’s Mentor Mingle

The holiday season bring to mind the many people who make a difference in our lives. For the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business (CCAL), our thoughts naturally turn to the many students, staff, faculty and professionals who contribute to growing leadership. One group that contributes significantly to the growth of others is mentors: professionals who generously give their time, effort and insights to help students grow professionally. We hosted a “Holiday Mingle” at One18 Empire Restaurant & Whiskey Bar to say a warm thank you to our mentors.

The Haskayne Professional Mentorship Program pairs BComm and MBA Students with business professionals from the Calgary business community. Mentors provide students with professional advice that comes from their own knowledge and experience within the business world. Mentorship is a crucial tool to help students grow as business professionals and help ease the transition between university life and the business world.

Stephen Baird, Director of Baird Consulting Group, Haskayne Mentor since the beginning of the program in 2003, likens mentorship to a two-way street. He is convinced that he gets back just as much as he gives. Besides learning interesting tidbits about the different classes his mentees are taking, Baird is convinced that mentoring helps him better understand the challenges young people face as well as what drives them. This is valuable knowledge that, in turn, helps him become a better manager and recruiter.

“I enjoy doing what I can to set young people up for success,” confided Baird. “It is particularly rewarding when my mentees go on to become colleagues – not only because I see them grow and mature professionally, but also mainly because the trust we had already established allows us to form great professional relationships which creates stronger professional outcomes.”

Please contact Frances Donohue at frances.donohue@haskayne.ucalgary.ca to share your experiences as a mentor or to become part of the Haskayne Professional Mentorship Program (HPMP).