British Paralympic Association (BPA) employees have been assigned top tier corporate mentors from Allianz Insurance in a unique 12-month scheme run by diversity and development experts, Moving Ahead, at an event on Wednesday 29 November.
The group of 30 mentors and mentees met for the first time at the event, where they heard from Paralympic gold medallist Megan Giglia MBE.
Megan Giglia was a multi-sport coach before she had an acute brain haemorrhage/stroke in 2013 which caused paralysis to the right side of her body. Just three years later, after embarking on an intensive rehabilitation and training programme, she represented ParalympicsGB in the velodrome at Rio 2016, winning gold medal in the individual pursuit at the Rio Paralympics. Giglia was also a double gold medallist at the UCI Paracycling Track World Championships in 2016.
Megan Giglia MBE said: ““To succeed in any goal in life you need to be constantly challenged. A mentor can be the person to provide that challenge. This Mentoring Programm is a fantastic partnership, where two organisations can work together to bring out the best in each other.”
Monica Relph, who is a former GB rower and Client Partner at Moving Ahead said: “It’s great for us at Moving Ahead to be using our expertise in mentoring to amplify the existing commercial partnership between Allianz Insurance and the BPA through this Sport-to-Business programme.
“Allianz sponsored my sister Pam Relph MBE as a Paralympic rower. I’ve seen first-hand how this kind of joint-working can transform individual’s lives, and as an organisation, Moving Ahead sees time and again how mentoring enhances organisations’ creativity and output. By working with people from different backgrounds and with different experiences, you will always learn something new, or be introduced to a new approach to solve an old problem. It’s an entirely positive experience for mentors and mentees.”
The scheme is designed to give Allianz Insurance and BPA colleagues the opportunity to learn from working with a diverse group of people, with different backgrounds and experiences. The programme maximises the existing commercial partnership between the BPA and Allianz Insurance. It will offer opportunities to develop mentoring skills at both organisations, through workshops and events, with mentoring experts at Moving Ahead. There will be two core events and invitations to attend a number of learning and networking masterclasses, with excellent opportunities to network across industries and hear from high-profile keynote speakers.
Jon Dye, CEO of Allianz Insurance, commented “This new mentoring programme is a tremendous way for Allianz to extend its support for the BPA. We have been overwhelmed by the response from our colleagues, seeking to share their experience and knowledge. I’m sure people in both organisations will benefit enormously.”
Tim Hollingsworth OBE, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “I’m really pleased to present this opportunity to the BPA team through our fantastic partnership with Allianz Insurance and I hope that both sides really benefit from the scheme. Colleagues from across the organisation have chosen to participate in the programme, demonstrating the positive attitude and commitment to learning and development that we encourage within the BPA so that everyone can achieve their potential.”
Moving Ahead has designed this programme end-to-end.
To be a mentor or mentee in another of our Sport-to-Business programmes which match corporate mentors with leaders working in sports governance, or in future rounds of the Athlete-to-Business programme which matches current and retired GB athletes with corporate mentors, contact Monica@moving-ahead.org.