On the shortlist: Ras Gohil

Ras Gohil, Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships at WIBF, has been shortlisted for Mentor of the Year Award in recognition of her exceptional commitment to mentoring and the profound impact she has made on personal and professional development. Nominated by Marcella Monaghan, Ras is praised for going above and beyond – combining strategic insight with empathy, encouragement, and genuine care.

With over 25 years of experience as both mentor and mentee, Ras brings a unique perspective: understanding the vulnerability of seeking guidance and the privilege of providing it. Drawing on a career in risk and compliance, she helps mentees think critically, plan effectively, and build confidence in their decisions.

Her role in WIBF’s corporate partnerships team gives Ras a “bird’s eye view” of talent and inclusion across the industry, enabling them to guide mentees towards real opportunities, highlight emerging skills in demand, and demonstrate the business case for diversity. For Ras, mentoring is not just advice but “an investment in changing someone’s trajectory.”

Read on to find out more…

You’re not only a mentor yourself but also volunteer with the WIBF Mentoring team. What inspired you to get involved on both sides, and how does that shape your perspective on mentoring?

Having experienced first-hand the transformative power of mentoring as a mentee, I knew I wanted to pay that forward and I have been doing this for the last 25+ years. Being involved on both sides gives me a unique perspective, I understand the vulnerability of seeking guidance and the privilege of providing it.

It has taught me that great mentoring isn’t about having all the answers; it is about asking the right questions and creating space for growth. When I am mentoring, I draw on my own experiences of what truly helped me breakthrough barriers, and when I am volunteering with the WIBF team, I am constantly learning new approaches that make me a better mentor.

The dual role keeps me grounded, I never forget that we are all on a journey, and the best mentors remain students themselves.

“Great mentoring isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions and creating space for growth.”

Your mentee describes you as both strategic and empathetic. How do you strike that balance when supporting someone through their career decisions?

I have learnt that strategy without empathy is just cold advice, whilst empathy without strategy leaves people feeling heard but stuck. The magic happens when you combine both.

I start by truly listening and understanding not just what someone wants to achieve, but why it matters to them and what fears might be holding them back. That is the empathy piece. Then I help them build a clear, actionable roadmap with specific milestones and contingency plans. That is the strategy.

The key is knowing when to lean into each. Sometimes they need me to challenge their thinking and push for clarity. Other times, they need validation that their feelings about a difficult situation are completely valid before we can move forward strategically.

Great career decisions aren’t just logical, they are deeply personal. My job is to honour both the head and the heart in equal measure.

You’ve had a long career in financial services, particularly in risk and compliance. How does your professional background influence the way you mentor others? 

Risk and compliance taught me that the best decisions come from understanding both the upside potential and the downside scenarios. I bring that same rigorous thinking to mentoring.

When someone is considering a career move, I don’t just celebrate the opportunity, I help them stress-test it. What are the potential pitfalls? What is their contingency plan? How does this align with their long-term goals? It is about making informed, confident decisions rather than hopeful leaps.

My compliance background also means I am naturally focused on process and preparation. I help mentees build systematic approaches to networking, interview preparation, and skill development, treating their career like a strategic project that deserves proper planning.

But perhaps most importantly, working in financial services taught me that reputation and trust are everything. I emphasise the importance of authenticity, integrity, and building genuine relationships rather than just transactional connections. I am not just helping them navigate their next role, I am helping them build careers that can withstand scrutiny and create lasting value.

“Strategy without empathy is just cold advice, whilst empathy without strategy leaves people feeling heard but stuck. The magic happens when you combine both.”

Mentoring requires real commitment – what makes you prioritise it, no matter how busy life gets?

I have seen what happens when talented people don’t get the support they need, brilliant minds that second-guess themselves, great ideas that never see daylight, careers that stagnate not from lack of ability but lack of belief.

That is unacceptable to me.

Every mentoring session is an investment in changing someone’s trajectory. When I see a mentee land that promotion they thought was impossible, or finally speak up in meetings, or launch their own business, I am reminded why this matters more than any other commitment in my diary.

The truth is, mentoring gives me as much as it takes. It keeps me connected to fresh perspectives, challenges my assumptions, and reminds me what is truly important beyond the day-to-day grind.

But fundamentally, it comes down to this: someone once believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. That changed everything. Now it’s my turn to be that person for others.

It’s not about finding time – it’s about making time for what matters most.

“Every mentoring session is an investment in changing someone’s trajectory.”

As someone working full-time in WIBF’s corporate partnerships team, you see the bigger picture of what organisations are doing around talent and inclusion. How does that wider view feed into the advice you give as a mentor?

Working in corporate partnerships gives me a bird’s eye view of what is really happening and which organisations are genuinely committed to change versus those just ticking boxes.

I can tell my mentees which companies are actually investing in women’s progression, not just talking about it. Where the real opportunities lie, which leadership teams are walking the walk, and crucially, which cultures will nurture their talent versus those that will waste it.

But it is more than just intel. I see the trends before they hit the mainstream. I know which skills organisations are desperately seeking, what they are willing to pay for, and where the future opportunities are emerging.

Most importantly, I understand the business case inside out. When my mentees doubt their worth or hesitate to negotiate, I can show them exactly why organisations need them, not as a favour, but as a strategic imperative.

I don’t just help them navigate their careers, I help them position themselves where the real power and opportunity actually sit. That is the difference between hoping for change and strategically positioning yourself to benefit from it.

What would you say to someone thinking about putting their hand up as a WIBF mentor for the first time? 

Stop overthinking it and say yes.

You don’t need to be perfect or have all the answers, you just need to care enough to show up. Every stumble you have made, every lesson you have learned the hard way, every moment you wished someone had warned you, that is exactly what makes you valuable as a mentor.

The person who needs your guidance is not looking for someone who has never failed. They are looking for someone who has failed, learned, and kept going. That’s you.

Your experience matters. Your perspective matters. Your willingness to invest in someone else’s success matters more than you realise.

The women who will benefit from your mentoring are out there right now, wondering if they are good enough, smart enough, brave enough. You have the power to help them answer ‘yes’ to all three.

Don’t wait until you feel ready, you already are. The only question is: will you step up?

To find out more about becoming a mentor for WIBF, visit this page.