My Womentoring experience – Emma Young (BSc 1996)

Emma Young (BSc 1996) is an author and the Director and Founder of Emma Young Consulting Ltd. An independent sustainability advisor, Emma is passionate about the power of story to change the world. She has over 20 years’ experience in the profession, including nine years at BT Group where she created and led the multinational’s sustainability communication strategy.

Since becoming an independent advisor in 2013, Emma has worked with a wide range of clients, providing strategic guidance, communication and engagement expertise, and project managing the delivery of sustainability reports.

Emma took part in our 2025 Womentoring scheme which saw 26 mentors matched with early-career mentees. She shares her experiences of being a mentor and the valuable insight she gained from taking part in the programme.

Why did you decide to join the Womentoring scheme as a mentor?

It was an instant yes for me because, despite my long career, I’ve never had a mentor myself. In my corporate days, there wasn’t an official programme, and I never had the nerve to just ask more senior leaders to mentor me.

Since then, I’ve mentored others through professional bodies, but I’ve never been matched with a mentor myself. In recent years, I’ve found myself a brilliant business coach and I also coach emerging authors who are struggling to overcome issues with confidence. So, the short answer is, I wanted to offer the kind of support I once needed myself.

What makes a women’s mentoring scheme important to you?

I think some women hesitate to ask for guidance and support. I know I did. If you’re not the type to knock down doors on your way to personal or professional advancement, opportunities can easily pass you by. Schemes like Womentoring are invaluable as they offer a gentler way to say yes to opportunity and growth.

If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that, sadly, quiet talent often gets overshadowed by shouty mediocrity. When women get some support to make themselves seen and heard, everyone wins—including organisations.

Can you tell us about what the mentoring involved?

To my mentees I offer four weekly one-on-one sessions, each lasting about thirty minutes. I found that one-to-one sessions led to richer, more honest conversations. The first session is a ‘getting to know you’ conversation, where we focus on what the mentee most wants to explore. From there, I shape the remaining sessions around their goal.

After each meeting, I send a quick summary with notes, reflections, and any relevant books, articles, or resources. If they’ve got something important coming up—like an interview—I’ll try and drop them a message that day because sometimes we all just need to know someone’s in our corner.

How has mentoring positively impacted your own career?

Although I haven’t had a formal mentor, working with a coach has been transformative for me. And mentoring others has been just as valuable—I learn something every single time. It’s a two-way exchange of insight and support, and I truly believe I get as much out of it as the mentees do.

What one piece of advice would you give to women early-on in their career/your younger self?

I don’t like giving blanket advice because everyone’s path is so personal. But if I could say one thing to my younger self, it would be: invest in understanding who you are.

Go to therapy, find a coach or mentor, journal, go on retreats—whatever it takes to get clear on what makes you tick and why because that kind of self-knowledge is a superpower.

I feel like I’ve been on a life-long quest, but now, in my second half century, I finally feel like I have a firm idea of who I am and what I want. It’s like getting an instruction manual for a tricky bit of tech instead of having to resort to the randomness of user forums! And, finally, be kind. Always. Because that’s a superpower too.

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