This programme is designed to provide learning and development opportunities for participants and aligns with Standard 6 in our Thriving at Work Framework on the Employee Lifecycle.
Reversing the traditional mentoring structure
At BNY, the Global Reverse Mentoring Programme is a professional development initiative designed to foster learning across the employee lifecycle. The programme pairs emerging leaders with senior leaders to exchange perspectives and foster intergenerational collaboration.
Led by GENEDGE, BNY’s multigenerational employee resource group, the programme reverses traditional mentoring structures. In this model, the emerging leader (the mentor) is positioned as the primary source of knowledge and expertise. They offer insights and guidance to mentees on a range of topics, from AI and social media to communication strategies, emotional wellbeing and workplace culture. Meanwhile, senior leaders (the mentees) take responsibility for driving the relationship, setting the agenda, and scheduling meetings.
The guiding principles of the programme are to create a learning environment, share different perspectives, give more junior employees visibility with senior leaders and cultivate a culture of belonging. The programme has 3 objectives:
- Pair employees at director level and below with senior leaders to mentor them on various topics
- Provide senior leaders with opportunities to refine their skills through feedback, discussion, and open dialogue
- Break down generational and cultural barriers to enable more effective collaboration across the workforce
Programme structure and experience
The programme runs for seven months, with mentee-mentor pairs expected to meet at least six times. This timeframe is intentionally designed to provide the time and space needed to build strong rapport and establish trust.
Mentors and mentees are paired based on mutual areas of interest. Mentees are asked what they would like to learn more about, and are then matched with mentors who feel they have relevant knowledge or experience in those areas.
The experience is structured around four core pillars:
- Connectivity – Creating opportunities for virtual relationship building across regions and generations
- Mentorship – Monthly one-on-one sessions between emerging and senior leaders
- Development – A series of learning and skills-based workshops offered throughout the programme
- Engagement – Curated monthly topics informed by mentor feedback and shared across the global cohort
Each pair is encouraged to start their relationship by discussing communication styles, setting shared expectations, and identifying the mentee’s learning goals. A resource hub supports the journey, offering tools such as conversation starters, monthly agendas, and a topic repository to guide conversations. Monthly themes range from “AI for everyone” and “work-life balance” to “the future of work” and “leading across generations.”
The programme calendar includes a virtual kick-off session to orient participants and provide all the resources they need to get started, followed by regular development events, mentor presentations, fireside chats, and leadership spotlights. The programme concludes with a graduation event, which features a panel where mentors and mentees share stories and insights from their experience.
Governance and global reach
With between 50–100 active pairings across BNY globally each year, the programme is supported by a robust leadership structure. A Global Programme Leadership Team oversees the design, content and governance.
To provide regional support and context, two regional leads are appointed in each of BNY’s key markets: the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. These leaders offer ongoing guidance, ensure successful pairings, and host monthly regional cohort sessions where mentors can share what they’ve learned, explore challenges, and exchange best practices.
Participation is open to employees from all regions and locations, with care taken to consider time zones in pairing. One of the most common pairing requests is to be matched with someone from a different life experience—whether that’s a different generation, geography or cultural background.
Measurement and impact
Demonstrating return on investment is critical to the programme’s long-term sustainability. With senior leaders committing their time, the programme is designed to track outcomes and impact.
Regular check-ins are conducted with all participants to monitor the success and extract the tangible benefits that are taking place during the program, while feedback surveys take place at the mid and end-points of the program to ensure standards and expectations are being met. A strong measure of success is in the large number of repeat participants taking part in subsequent programmes. Alumni are brought together to help drive opportunities for ongoing development and opportunity.
By flipping the traditional mentoring model, BNY’s programme unlocks new perspectives and helps strengthen a learning culture and build a more connected and future-focused workplace.
The Reverse Mentoring Programme Leadership team at BNY are Chris Andrews (UK), Jemini Sharma (US), Shireesha Seshanaath (India), Rebecca Jones (UK), Bassira Souare (US) and Girish Massand (US)