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.