Career Development

Meet a pairing in Millennium’s Mentorship Program: Colin Maxwell, an Equity Finance Trader working in London, and Jean-Luc Roghe, Head of Investor Relations in EMEA. He’s also responsible for establishing and managing our Dubai office. Read more to learn about their experience and advice for joining our program.

How did you decide to get involved with the Mentorship program?

JLR: I strongly believe it is important to find the time to help and support the younger talent in our organization. They represent the future of our business.

CM: It was always something I was interested to get involved in when I joined Millennium and after discussions with my manager and HR about the program’s benefits, I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

How did things change when virtual work began last year?

JLR: Very little actually because I don’t drink coffee! Business travel stopped completely, and as a result, it was easier to meet more regularly with Colin via video calls. Mentoring becomes even more valuable in the virtual environment when there is less face-to-face interaction.

CM: As with every aspect of work, we moved to catch-ups via video calls. Though the coffee was not as good at home, this did not interfere with the effectiveness of our meetings.

Why do you think being involved in a mentorship program is important?

JLR: As a mentor, it gives you a fantastic chance to remain up to speed with the daily challenges and opportunities colleagues face across the Firm. It allows you to stay in touch with the constantly evolving mindset/needs of the younger generation and hopefully makes you a much better manager.

CM: Being able to draw from both my mentor’s global experience and perspective from another part of the business has been vitally important throughout my career so far at Millennium. They can highlight areas where you can improve and offer encouragement and advice for personal and professional growth.

Tell us one thing you learned (so far) from your mentor/mentee?

JLR: It enabled me to better understand a different part of our business and how it has evolved over recent years as the Firm has continued to grow.

CM: Jean-Luc provided me with great tools to address a key area I needed to improve and helped me to develop skills that would turn this into a strength.

What advice would you give to others thinking about joining the Mentorship program?

JLR: Don’t waste any time, just sign up! It’s a win-win situation. Millennium has created this great program and given us the resources we need to connect, and we should make the most of it.

CM: Definitely sign up! Having the opportunity to learn from an experienced member of the Firm on a continual one-to-one basis is invaluable.

Meet a pairing in Millennium’s Mentorship Program: Cari Smalley, Co-Head HR Business Partners, Americas, and Jasmin Zirino, Operations Specialist. Read more to learn about their experience and advice for joining our program.

How did you decide to get involved with the Mentorship program?

JZ: A few years ago, my manager told me the Women of Millennium Network (WOMN) had launched, and through that network, I applied for their mentorship program. I was eager to participate, as I had a positive mentorship experience at my previous firm.

CS: As part of my role on the Women’s Network steering committee, I connected with Jasmin about matching her with a mentor. We had met organically through a different program at the firm, so we decided to match ourselves—the rest is history!

Why do you think being involved in a mentorship program is important?

JZ&CS: The mentorship program is a fantastic experience for anyone who wishes to join. It allows you to meet someone you do not directly work with and grow your network. It is invaluable to have the ability to work through solutions to problems, use one another as sounding boards, and occasionally just blow off steam in a supportive space. We are very fortunate for the experience.

In what ways do you think participating in this program has helped your personal or professional development?

JZ: The program helped me grow both personally and professionally. Personally, it’s empowering to see Cari as a successful, smart, and driven female leader navigate the Firm. Professionally, given that I recently became a manager, it was helpful to have the opportunity to discuss high-level topics like prioritization, deadlines, and work/life balance.

CS: It’s been incredibly fulfilling to see Jasmin come into her own as a strong, successful leader on her team. Our conversations about career progression and managing people have had a real and positive impact on how I think about talent development in my role as an HR professional.

Tell us one thing you learned (so far) from your mentor/mentee?

JZ: The most important thing I have learned from Cari is to be authentic. At Millennium, we work with such talented and driven individuals, and authenticity is the most valuable thing that sets us apart.

CS: I have learned so much from Jasmin. I learned how to be both bold and caring and that good leadership is shown by actions, not just words. Also, pizza and TikTok videos are the best ways to end a rough week.

What advice would you give to others thinking about joining the Mentorship program?

JZ&CS: Our advice: just join! You have nothing to lose by giving it a try.

Some additional advice to anyone else on their career journey:

1. Never to be afraid to ask for something to help your career. The worst thing you can be told is no.
2. In the words of Ted Lasso, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Learn more about our employees’ career journeys with Millennium through Q&A sessions.

In this “How I Got Here” feature, we speak with Austin Friedman, a Project Manager and MLPride Sponsor based in our New York Office. Austin shares his career journey, experience with our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and top advice for succeeding at Millennium.

1. What did your career look like early on?

I began my career working in a big four accounting firm’s consulting practice working with banks in the US to develop and implement firm-wide strategies. The work included process and human capital changes in different office functions, ensuring that banks were compliant with regulatory requirements, implementing changes to reduce expenses, and recommending new technologies to improve or replace legacy systems and processes.

2. What initially excited you about joining Millennium?

The Project Management team at Millennium was what initially attracted me to join. My role allows me work on various projects across business functions and with stakeholders at all levels of the organization, which I love. Also, Millennium is relatively small (in comparison to my previous company, which has more than 200K employees globally) and I was excited to work in that environment.

3. How has your time at Millennium surprised you?

I’ve been surprised to see how flat Millennium is as an organization. Many companies say they have flat hierarchies, or that members of senior management have open door policies, but I have truly seen this in practice at Millennium. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at the support I have received for various initiatives or requests outside of my day-to-day. For example, I recently completed a Harvard Business School course on alternative investments which has helped with various projects I am working on.

4. What has been your experience with Millennium’s ERGs?

So far my experience with the MLPride group has affirmed that I have true allies at the firm. I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to become the Co-Chair of the network after being a member for a relatively short amount of time and I have felt support from the top down from day one.

5. What advice would you give to someone who is starting their career at Millennium?

I would recommend that everyone find a mentor. I have some who know I consider them a mentor and others who may not know, but advice from both groups is always helpful in navigating my career development.