Flagship recently completed the third round of its Mentorship Program, with nineteen mentors in leadership roles participating in this initiative. Thirteen team members who expressed interest in becoming mentees were thoughtfully matched with mentors. Each pair met monthly throughout the program, building valuable connections and fostering personal and professional growth.

Lisa Gallagher, in Organizational Development, who has led the program since 2023, says, “It’s a humbling experience to be part of a person’s development journey. The Mentor Program provides such great opportunities for everyone involved to learn from each other, to share experiences, and to have an opportunity to build a community culture of connection, trust, and safety, which positively impacts performance.”

The Mentorship Program plays a pivotal role in fulfilling our mission to relentlessly improve the lending experience for everyone. Through mentorship, both mentors and mentees gain new perspectives and tools that help them better serve our customers and support one another. This program strengthens workplace relationships and provides new avenues for career progression.

The pilot’s success has solidified its place as a critical development initiative, providing meaningful learning opportunities for our associates. We’ve received incredible feedback from both mentors and mentees, underscoring the program’s impact:

“I had a great mentee; he was engaging and receptive to sharing his career and personal goals. We discussed how these could be attained. Key word is ‘WE,’ and that’s the power of mentoring! It wasn’t just him by himself!”

— Chuck Blommaert, Mentor

“I enjoyed being a part of Flagship’s Mentor Program pilot. I learned more professionally and personally about my mentor and was given a push in a direction that I may not have necessarily taken the plunge into. I am proud of the knowledge, growth, and efforts over the last year and eager to continue to refine.”

— Jessica Deweerdt, Mentee

“The mentor program was a wonderful experience. The mentoring program has allowed me to expand my personal and professional network within Flagship. My mentor, Donna, was enthusiastic and eager to invest her time in me to help me grow professionally. She gave me trusted advice, coaching, and positive encouragement to motivate me to tackle even the toughest obstacles because that is how much she believed that I could. What I learned as a mentee: Learn everything you can about the business and not just in your area of expertise. Ask questions. You must be proactive in your own career development and growth.”

— Stephanie Eaves, Mentee

In response to feedback, the program has been revamped to ensure even greater value. The 2024-2025 cohort will run for 12 months with ten applicants, incorporating new components designed to ensure that all participants can grow personally and professionally, focusing on the whole person.

• Connection Sessions – Participants will meet to explore program components and deepen their relationships.
• Supervisor Involvement – Guidance on engaging supervisors to maximize support and ailment for mentees.
• Interactive Leadership Learning – A blended approach combining online content with live sessions aimed at building essential leadership skills.

At our core, we are committed to excellence and respect, acting with integrity in all we do. Flagship prides itself on working with team members, encouraging them to take ownership of their personal and professional development. By empowering our people, we create an environment where every team member can grow, develop new skills, and thrive in their careers—creating better lending experiences and a stronger, more connected workplace.