2025 Mentor of the Year Award

The Mentor of the Year Award celebrates a WIBF mentor who has gone above and beyond in supporting others on their professional journeys. This award recognises someone who has dedicated their time and energy to guiding, encouraging, and inspiring their mentees, helping them to achieve their goals and build confidence for the future. Whether an experienced mentor or just starting out, the shortlisted nominees have all made a tangible difference to the development and progression of those they’ve supported, with powerful endorsements from their mentees highlighting the lasting impact of their guidance.

Find out more about our six shortlisted mentors…

Amy Wellerman – Lloyds Banking Group

Amy has been nominated for this award by three of her mentees – Olga Poletaeva, Bethaney Hopkins and Anna Tracey – a testament to the breadth and depth of her impact as a mentor.

Olga credits Amy with playing a pivotal role in her career development, particularly in a specialist area where Amy is a recognised subject matter expert. She highlights how Amy went beyond traditional mentoring by arranging opportunities to shadow colleagues across different teams, inviting her to team meetings to gain insight into priorities and workflows, and consistently sharing relevant materials and learning opportunities. This practical and tailored approach gave Olga valuable exposure and strengthened her career ambitions.

Bethaney describes Amy as her strongest advocate, both professionally and personally. Amy dedicated significant time to helping her refine personal statements, prepare through mock interviews, and build connections with senior stakeholders. As a result, Bethaney achieved promotion only four months after returning from maternity leave. She emphasises Amy’s passion for ensuring women, particularly mothers, are supported in progressing their careers.

Anna highlights Amy’s charismatic and dedicated style, which has enhanced her confidence and drive. Regular check-ins, continual guidance and encouragement ensured that mentoring extended far beyond formal sessions.

Collectively, these nominations demonstrate Amy’s selfless commitment to empowering others to succeed.

Lisa Ardley Price – NatWest Group

Lisa Ardley Price has been nominated for this award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to mentoring and her wider advocacy for diversity and inclusion. As one of the Global Co-Chairs of the NatWest Gender Network, Lisa is a visible and intentional leader, championing equity, excellence and opportunity for colleagues of all genders, races and cultures.

Her mentees describe her as much more than a mentor – she is a generational leader whose passion and dedication inspire those around her. One mentee reflected on the profound impact Lisa has had in shaping their legal career as a newly qualified solicitor. As a Black professional, they emphasised how invaluable it was to be supported by someone who not only offered expert career guidance but also poured genuine passion into helping them navigate the profession with confidence and clarity.

Lisa stands out because of her ability to combine encouragement with high standards of professional excellence. She invests time and energy in helping people succeed in both career and personal life, empowering mentees to become the best version of themselves. She is known for recognising potential in everyone, seeing individuals as talents and prospects rather than through the lens of race or background. Importantly, she helps mentees transform rejection into motivation and growth, leaving a lasting impact on their careers.

Neil Dunlop – Barclays

Neil has been nominated for the Mentor of the Year Award in recognition of his exceptional mentorship, with a particular focus on diversity, inclusion and professional development. Over the past year, he has provided consistent support and guidance, helping his mentee navigate significant career challenges with confidence. By drawing on his extensive career experience, Neil has offered tailored insights and practical advice, enabling his mentee to approach difficult situations with greater clarity and assurance.

A defining quality of Neil’s mentorship is his ability to empower others to be bold, speak up and embrace opportunities they might otherwise avoid. His belief in potential has inspired his mentee to take ownership of their professional journey and to act with greater confidence and initiative.

In addition to building confidence, Neil has actively supported skills development by recommending courses and resources that directly enhanced technical capability. He ensured his mentee focused on impactful tasks that accelerated progress, while providing the tools and encouragement needed to succeed.

Equally important, Neil has fostered a supportive and inclusive environment where concerns could be voiced openly and constructive feedback received. For those in the early stages of their career, his mentorship has been invaluable, leaving a lasting impression on both personal and professional growth.

Olga Poletaeva- Lloyds Banking Group

Olga is a committed advocate for career development and inclusion, mentoring individuals at all levels – from recent graduates to experienced colleagues exploring new career paths. She has supported mentees with CV and interview preparation, encouraged participation in stretch opportunities such as hackathons, and provided coaching on personal brand, storytelling and influencing. Her guidance has directly helped mentees secure roles, achieve promotions, and successfully navigate structural changes.

One example of her impact is the four months she spent supporting an apprentice to secure a permanent role through targeted coaching, detailed feedback and warm introductions. For another mentee, Olga designed a tailored development plan aligned with their career goals, using structured themes and regular coaching sessions. When that individual faced an organisational restructure, she provided strategic guidance and actively advocated for them with their manager, resulting in a successful outcome.

Olga also encourages informal career conversations with peers, offering support whenever colleagues share aspirations. Beyond the workplace, she is frequently approached for coaching. For instance, she helped a friend build confidence as a book club host and reviewer on Instagram by suggesting distinctive and authentic strategies to strengthen her voice and presence.

Helping others grow isn’t simply something Olga does – it is something she genuinely enjoys.

Ras Gohil – WIBF

Nominated by Marcella Monaghan, Ras is recognised for their exceptional commitment to mentoring and the profound impact they have had on both personal and professional development. Marcella describes how Ras has consistently gone above and beyond, providing not only expert advice and constructive feedback but also unwavering encouragement during challenging moments.

Ras’s mentorship extended well beyond scheduled sessions. They were always available to offer support when needed, proactively shared resources, and created access to new opportunities. A striking example of their dedication came when Ras, despite being unwell, joined a call to help Marcella prepare for an important interview – a gesture that reflects their genuine care and commitment.

Ras is praised for their rare ability to listen deeply, understand individual goals, and tailor guidance that is both strategic and empathetic. By challenging Marcella to think critically and refine her decision-making, Ras helped strengthen her confidence and resilience. At the same time, they consistently celebrated achievements, both big and small, ensuring progress felt recognised and meaningful.

Marcella credits Ras’s mentorship with shaping her professional trajectory in lasting ways, describing their support as transformative. It is this combination of dedication, empathy and practical guidance that makes Ras an outstanding mentor.

Siona Lamble – NatWest Group

Siona Lamble currently leads the Deposits Pricing Team for the Commercial & Institutional franchise at NatWest Group and has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to mentoring. She has supported colleagues for many years, including two recent Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) mentoring relationships and two active formal mentoring relationships within the workplace. Her own team also recognises and values the mentoring she provides, while many other colleagues have expressed appreciation for her informal guidance and support.

Siona’s dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is evident through her leadership beyond mentoring. As co-chair of the NatWest Gender Network, she oversaw 9,000 members and more than 250 volunteers, spearheading transformational initiatives such as re-launching the male allies programme, lobbying for equal parental leave, and initiating discussions on period dignity. These actions contributed to building a more inclusive and supportive environment across the organisation.

Her impact is further highlighted through the words of Jurga Bridikyte, one of her WIBF mentees. Jurga credits Siona with helping her develop stakeholder management skills by providing clear advice, structured plans and proactive support through relevant information and guidance. She describes Siona’s involvement as pivotal to her progression.

Together, these examples demonstrate Siona’s unwavering commitment to empowering others to grow and succeed.

To find out more about the 2025 awards, visit this page.