“Just the two of us”, is how the well-known Bill Withers song goes, and it’s now been applied to the travel industry, and in the form of successful mentoring programs.

The industry’s best and brightest inevitably start out as mentees before graduating to become mentors themselves, and this is something cherished by the industry on a whole.

So Travel Weekly decided to catch up with a few pairs from the Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME) to see how their careers have benefited.

The Travel Industry Mentor Experience started in 2009 to offer a range of business skills, development guidance and support sessions, within a mentoring and peer collaboration environment, to aspiring mid-level management individuals of the travel and tourism industry.

All these mentoring teams have remained friends and confidantes long after the six-month program wrapped up.

 Mentor: Fiona Dalton, Uniworld managing director Australia
Mentee: Claire Haggarty, APT NSW/ACT business development manager

Fiona and Claire have remained friends long after their formal mentoring period was up and now describe their friendship as relaxed and spontaneous.

“Fiona and I hit it off instantly and I knew it was the perfect pairing.  It is refreshing to have a mentor who is so honest and humble about their journey,” Claire says.

“It made me feel a lot more comfortable to share my wins, losses and aspirations in a nurturing environment.”

“Actually having read the criteria for selection as a TIME mentor I never thought in my wildest dreams I would qualify so when I received the phone call from Penny Spencer I was very honoured,” Fiona says.

“I feel I have a clearer vision of what I am capable of. I definitely feel more confident. I have expanded my network.  Fiona has been a great sounding board,” Claire says.

“Claire intuitively knows the answers to many of her questions, she just needs a sounding board from time to time,” Fiona says.

“I will come to a conclusion myself however being able to talk it through helps me to validate my decision, it also gives me the opportunity to gain insight that I may not have thought about previously,” Claire says.

“I also like to stretch and challenge her to think longer term about where she is headed and what wants to achieve in the future,” Fiona says.

“I often see a younger of version of myself in Claire and recall grappling with many of the same issues and challenges as she is faced with today. I have learnt to be a better listener and coach. It’s definitely a two way partnership,” Fiona says.

Mentor: Jo O’Brien, Tramada Systems CEO
Mentee: Joslen Ho, P&O strategy and projects manager

Joslen started in the cutthroat world of investment banking at J.P. Morgan. She had a self-diagnosed quarter life crisis and after travelling the world, felt the travel industry would off er more job satisfaction.

Upon returning from overseas, she saw a job advertised at P&O cruises and knew the travel industry would be her passion
point. However, she’d had no exposure to the industry previously. Her company are supporters of the TIME program, and set her up as a mentee so she would hit the ground – or the deck – running.

She was partnered with high profile Tramada CEO Jo O’Brien.

“Having the opportunity to discuss and ask absurd questions about industry dynamics and trends with an industry veteran like Jo made my career change so much less daunting. The positive influence of a mentor cannot be overstated,” Joslen says.

Jo has delivered Joslen plenty of advice both during and after their mentorship pairing.

“It really comes down to the mentor being a safe sounding board and the mentee opening up about their challenges and aspirations. It’s about helping the mentee make their own career decisions,” Jo says.

“There was a time when I was working to launch an important initiative to market under tight deadlines. Jo gave me some invaluable advice on large project management and stakeholder engagement.

“I don’t think there is a better way to learn these skills than from a CEO,” Joslen says.

“I try to help her by challenging her thinking and sometimes playing devil’s advocate,” Jo adds.

Mentor: Leith Mills, businesswoman
Mentee: Lynsey Potts, The LIDO Group Legal and Corporate Development director 

Lynsey came from a law firm and was new to the travel industry and Australia, hailing from Scotland, when she met Leith as part of the TIME program.

“I knew very little about who’s who in the industry and which company does what. Leith Mills was the perfect mentor to take me through a mud-map of the industry; its who’s who and what’s what,” Lynsey says.

“Leith is a well-known, highly-respected, confident individual with a sales background. I am involved in ‘the background’ of the business when it comes to my role and I didn’t think I would necessarily gain any tips (or need them) in relation to sales.

“I was very wrong.  I learnt we are all in sales; to sell ourselves in the best light and represent our businesses as best we can,” Lynsey says.

“I like to take a 360-degree view of the mentee and their overall life goals.  I’m sure others approach it differently,” Leith says.

Initially, Mills was reluctant to be a mentor. But she hasn’t looked back since joining TIME.

“I gained far more than I thought I would!” Leith added.

“First and foremost, I have faith in the continued prosperity of the travel industry. The extraordinarily talented and visionary young people working in all segments of the industry are inspirational.

“I’m somewhat humbled that any of them would be interested in my experience and advice.

“Secondly, I’m a people person and so meeting and engaging with people who share my passion is what I enjoy.”