Project Sydney 2018 mentorship program brings together leaders from business, sport, politics and media
PUSH yourself, take risks and always be ready to learn from adversity — these are just some of the lessons that have helped shape Australia’s leaders. Project Sydney’s mentors from business, sport, politics and the media mentor a new generation.
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PUSH yourself, take risks and always be ready to learn from adversity — these are just some of the lessons that have helped shape Australia’s leaders.
And these are just some of the messages being imparted from an impressive line-up of key figures from business, sport, politics and the media who will today take on the role of mentors to a new generation.
As part of the Project Sydney mentorship program they will take under their wing some of the 50 students from TAFE NSW and Western Sydney University who have been selected for one-on-one mentoring.
“What a good mentor can do is help you not just with the technical aspects of your career but help you shape your career, develop your judgment and provide an example to work towards,” mentor and Committee for Sydney chairman Michael Rose said.
Following the success of last year’s Daily Telegraph Project Sydney mentoring program this year’s cohort of future leaders will get one-on-one mentoring, a workshop with leading CEOs and CV and interview training.
They will be guided by leaders in their field, including former premier Mike Baird, Channel 7 news presenter Mark Ferguson and former Sydney Roosters star Anthony Minichiello.
Ferguson said while it was a wonderful chance for young students to learn and make contacts with the best in their fields but it was up to them to make the most of the opportunity.
“The advice for these young people starting out is to work hard, know your stuff and make sure you have done your research,” he said.
Ferguson was taken under the wing of veteran presenter Ian Ross when he became a news anchor.
“Even after he moved stations and I was in the main chair at Nine and he was in the main chair at Seven he was still … encouraging me,” he said.
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Clara Cutajar, partner at PwC, was encouraged by her first mentor to stick to her principles and not adopt the aggressive tactics then seen as a necessary precursor to success.
“My mentor was a big believer in me and what I could achieve, if it was not for him I would not have stayed. He believed in my potential value for building relationships. He encouraged me to keep going.
“I hope to guide my mentee to take some risks, if you don’t put yourself in uncomfortable positions you are not learning,” she said.
That is a sentiment shared by Nancy Veart, general manager of sales at News Corp, who said: “My mentor gave me confidence and inspired me but it was still up to me to put in the hard yards.
“Things don’t come easy but if you are prepared to put in the hard yards then anything is possible.”
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And it is not just professional guidance that is on offer. Minichiello said: “For me it is all about three pillars of good health; nutrition, sleep and hydration. With those in place you can focus on what you need to do every day.”
He also said he learnt more from adversity. “When I was in my early 20s and didn’t have an injury and playing great football I didn’t listen to anybody. But when I went through those four years of injury, it was the best thing that happened to me. It was an intense learning curve,” he said.
Nicole Turley, chief investment officer at Mediacom, said her mentor helped her channel her energy into the right direction.
“I now have a mentor who helps my mind, body and spirit. It is all about your whole wellbeing to help you work in a high performance environment. How you look after your body can have such an impact on your career,” she said.
And the final element that Lachlan Roach, general manager of home appliances with Harvey Norman, wants to pass on is one he learnt from his grandparents.
“Mentoring to me means to guide and challenge and to encourage not only success but humility,” he said.