Our Water and Protection (W&P) business created the Ignite mentorship program to help us build a diverse pipeline of talent by developing female leaders. The program targeted high-potential women in W&P with under ten years of work experience. A cohort of 20 participants representing all geographical regions and business functions took part in accelerated and customized individual development and virtual learning opportunities.

The program kicked off in September of 2019 with a full-day, in-person workshop. Over the next eight months, participants took part in a series of interviews, executive coaching sessions, one-on-one mentoring sessions and webinars. When the program concluded in May 2020, participants reported that the combination of individual assessments and customized executive coaching was highly valuable. They also reported that their favorite parts of Ignite were their ability to build better self-awareness and expand their professional networks.