Mentor Walks Launches in Canada
Written by Penny Swords, VP Mining Data Management Solutions – Seequent
I’ve always worked in male-dominated industries – first in technology and now in technology within the mining industry – and it has been hard to find other senior women to turn to for allyship and mentorship. That’s why, when I discovered the organisation Mentor Walks in Australia, I thought this would be a great initiative to bring to Canada’s working women.
Early on in my career I worked as a technology consultant and charged out at a premium rate to large enterprises. I would walk into IT teams full of men and see the look of surprise on their faces as my 25-year-old self stepped into the room. I was very knowledgeable in the area I was consulting in, and within the first ten minutes of a meeting I would watch their expressions change from doubt to confidence.
I now recognise this behaviour was what we would today call unconscious bias. The impact of these experiences is that, over time, many women will lose confidence and won’t apply for promotions or new positions.
A recent McKinsey study on Women in Mining found that not only is there low overall participation of women in the workforce, but for the women that do enter mining – the drop off from entry level to executive was the highest than any other industry. Yet, research also shows that organisations with diversity perform better. As an example, another McKinsey study found organisations that were more diverse at the board-level perform 35 per cent better financially than the industry median.
Supported by Seequent, Mentor Walks was officially launched in Calgary and Vancouver on April 19 & 21, 2023, with a great turnout and much success. At the events, senior level and entrepreneurial women are matched with women looking to move up within their careers for an hour-long walk before work to talk about their careers and life, and to build a network. The casual setting encourages honest conversations without the formality attached to traditional mentorship relationships.
I was fortunate enough to be a mentor at the Calgary and Vancouver walks. In Calgary, I met two amazing women who worked in finance roles, we discussed how to juggle careers and families, as well as how to deal with the micro-aggressions that one of my mentees had recently experienced on a project working alongside an all-male team.
In Vancouver, I was matched with three amazing women who worked across education and real estate. We talked about how to move up to the next level in your role after you had been unsuccessful in applying for roles, and how to navigate role changes during your career.
It was heartwarming at the end of the walk to see the women hugging and exchanging contacts. After both walks, the energy was extremely high, everyone was buzzing, and there were smiles all around.
We have scheduled these walks to happen most months of the year, except in the coldest or wettest months. I am looking forward to meeting more interesting women across diverse industries and sharing our experiences during future walks as we continue to support each other.
For more information about upcoming events with Mentor Walks, CLICK HERE.