On Wednesday night, TIME welcomed seven new mentees during a function at Crown Institute of Studies in Auckland. This was a record number, reflecting the growing momentum the programme has.

‘We’ve now had more than 30 people through the programme and that has been the real success story,’ says Gay.

He adds that the programme does have a loyal pool of mentors, some who have nurtured two or three different mentees over the past several years.

‘We have had great support from female industry leaders but we would love to see more women taking on a mentor role.

‘We also need more mentors from outside Auckland. We are getting interest from other areas and it is important to have some face-to-face interaction along with connecting through technology.’

TIME secretariat Margaret Spiro says industry leaders who are interested in becoming mentors don’t have to commit immediately.

‘If people are not available right now, that’s fine but if they sign up at least we have them in the system.’

Gay says the programme has received incredible support from supporters, including organisations offering scholarships to get people through the programme. It also has a strong committee.

‘More and more the industry is recognising TIME as a genuine opportunity to develop future leaders. This is something companies can build into their succession planning.’

The programme involves a total of 24 hours mentoring over a six month period.margaret@travelindustrymentor.co.nz

(See more on the TIME event on p8)