Welcome to the
Women Athletes
Business Network
Mentoring
Program
From elite female athletes to exceptional leaders
Welcome to the Women Athletes Business Network Mentoring
Program
Did you know that 96% of top female executives have a background in sport and that the
majority of those executives played at the university level? It makes sense, given that teamwork,
discipline, fitness and goal orientation are some of the skills that translate from sport to life – to
business.
At EY, we believe that elite female athletes are an incredible pool of talent with unique
leadership traits and entrepreneurial skills learned through sport. The question is, how do you,
as an elite athlete who has made a tremendous impact within your sport, navigate the right next
steps to become a leader outside of your sport?
By finding the right mentor to guide and support you.
At EY, we created the Women Athletes Business Network (WABN) Mentoring Program to
connect Olympians and elite athletes like you with top women leaders around the world. Our
mentors are women who can teach, guide and inspire you just as your coaches have so you
can successfully make the transition from your passion for sport to your passion to succeed in
the professional business realm.
Whether you have already retired from your sport or are now transitioning from sport to a career
in business, government, nonprofit and other professional spheres, we invite you apply for this
special program.
Our process
Each mentee will be assigned a carefully selected mentor who is an accomplished and
recognized leader in her field. Mentors and mentees will connect a minimum of five times across
the course of the program year either virtually (phone, Skype, email) or face-to-face, when
possible.
We have partnered with the International Women’s Forum®, the preeminent global network of
women business leaders, and its network of 6,000 senior women executive mentors in 33
nations on five continents. Their members – women who have reached the pinnacle of
leadership in their respective fields – will share their insights, lessons and leadership expertise
with WABN mentees.
While they are not career counselors, they will provide invaluable insights from their own life
experiences and career journeys and can help you advance in your career by listening, helping
you to set and achieve goals, opening doors and building your professional network.
Mentees will have access to the WABN private portal and its global network of other female
athletes for further networking and exchange as well as specialized leadership development
content.
EY is a leading professional services organization with more than 175,000 people in 150
countries, and we want to use the breadth of our organization to help our program mentees. For
the duration of the program, mentees will also be connected with an EY program liaison. The
liaison will provide each mentee with access to EY’s global business resources and knowledge
platforms and introductions to local industry networks.
There are no tuition fees for program participation, although mentees are responsible for any
associated costs they may incur (phone, travel, etc.).
The application deadline is 1 August 2014. The International Selection Committee will review
candidates and select no more than 25 mentees for the 2014-15 program year. Selected
candidates will be notified in September 2014. Mentor matches will be complete by December
2014.
WABN defines an “elite female athlete” as a woman who is currently or has previously
competed as a professional player in an organized sport or at a national or international level.
Admissions policy
The WABN seeks to select a diverse group of former and current elite female athletes who have
retired from sport or are transitioning from sport to a professional career in business,
government or other professional spheres of leadership. The WABN is designed to prepare and
propel high-potential emerging women leaders to greater heights of responsibility and
leadership.
The Mentoring Program provides support for former elite female athletes from all
continents and at different points in their careers. This may come in the early stages of a
young woman’s career or at a key point in the development and growth of an
experienced rising leader.
Criteria
The WABN International Selection Committee will choose mentees using the following
guidelines:
►
She will have demonstrated athletic performance and leadership within her sport.
►
She will have displayed substantive academic or professional work experience and
significant direct accomplishments.
►
She will have displayed current and potential leadership, indicated by professional,
volunteer and other activities, as well as through recommendations.
►
She will have an expectation of a long professional leadership horizon following the
mentorship. Candidates are judged, in part, on their ability to leverage and maximize the
opportunity over time.
►
Candidates must have English proficiency although mentor/mentee matches will
accommodate language preferences, where possible.
© 2014 EYGM Limited.
All Rights Reserved.
EYG no. FH0071
ED None
WABN Mentoring Program application
Name:
Last
First
Middle
Professional/work
address
Street
City
State/Country
Code/ZIP
State/Country
Code/ZIP
Home address:
Street
City
Telephone:
Home (include country code and city code)
Office (include country code and city code)
Email address:
Do you prefer that we contact you at work or home?
Birthdate:
Work
Home
Country of citizenship:
Total years in sport:
Sport
Total years of professional employment:
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 1
Current employer/occupation:
Employer
Occupation
Title:
Industry: (e.g., academia, financial services)
Duties:
Size of budget
(if applicable):
Employer’s address:
(if self-employed,
please note)
Street
City
State/Country
Code/Zip
Name and position of immediate supervisor (if applicable):
Name
Position
Supervisor’s telephone and email:
Telephone
Email
Scholastic record: (If you need additional space, please submit information on an attached sheet of paper.)
List all distinctions, honors and awards you have received (academic, athletic, government, business, volunteer, etc.),
beginning in college. Please provide a brief explanation of each. If you need additional space, please submit information on
an attached sheet of paper.
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 2
List major extracurricular, civic or community activities in order of importance to you. Please indicate any offices held or
honors, and dates of participation.
List any articles, books and other significant work you have written or been involved in (if applicable).
We would appreciate applicants supplying the following information. Your compliance is strictly voluntary. To which of the
following ethnic groups do you belong:
African-American or black
Hispanic
Arab, Arab-American
Native-American, Indigenous Canadian or Native Alaskan
Asian, Asian-American or Pacific Islander
Other
Caucasian
How did you learn about the WABN Mentoring Program?
If accepted into the WABN Mentoring Program, you will be matched with a mentor based on the information provided
in your application as well as your goals and aspirations described in your essays.
Please indicate any other geographic, professional or cultural preference you may have for your potential mentor.
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 3
Personality traits
(Please note: this section will have no bearing on your selection – it will be used for mentor matching purposes only.)
How would you rate yourself from 1 (less characteristic) to 10 (most characteristic) on the following? You may include a
short response if you would like.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1. Would you characterize yourself as an extrovert?
2. Do you make friends easily?
3. Would you characterize yourself as compassionate and
cooperative?
4. Are new experiences of significant importance to you?
5. Are you more prone to act spontaneously and by instinct?
Essay questions
Essay should be no longer than 500 words per answer. All applicants must answer the
following questions.
1.
What and/or who have been the most significant influences on who you are today – personally and as a leader?
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 4
2.
What have you learned through sport and as an elite athlete that you believe will aid you in becoming a successful
leader in your chosen field?
3.
What are your professional goals, and how do you think the WABN Mentoring Program will promote them?
Please include in your answer both short-term and long-term goals, as well as the skills you seek to develop
through the mentoring relationship.
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 5
Letter of recommendation:
Please list below the name, position and address of the person writing a letter of recommendation, as well as his or her
relationship to you. The recommendation form must be included in your final submission.
Name:
Position:
Address:
How acquainted:
WABN Mentoring Program application
1405-1247318 | Page 6