I had envisaged meeting my mentee face-to-face for coffee but unfortunately, shortly after the programme was launched, we found ourselves in lockdown. What that has meant for my mentee and I is that we have had to adapt our meeting structure and hold our meetings remotely. We have had one phone call and two Zoom calls during this period which seem to have worked well. We have found areas of common interest, for example, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) which have led to good discussions. Hopefully it is useful to have an insight into the slightly different approach taken by each scheme/ trustee board.

My mentee is a trustee, therefore, unlike me, pensions are not the day job. Whilst she is very enthusiastic, she has to balance the time commitment of trusteeship with her substantive role. Having worked with many trustees over the years I appreciate how difficult that can be at times.

I think the breadth of the role of a trustee has increased significantly over the last decade or so. I have a lot of admiration for the dedication of lay trustees.

I try to signpost areas which might be useful to my mentee. For example, I try to forward reports or invitations which might be of interest and I hope this compliments the support which she receives internally.

I have enjoyed the programme so far and I would encourage others to consider it in future years. I hope to meet up with my mentee in real life before the programme ends.

I hope to develop our discussions into short/ medium term goal setting with action points. This is slightly different with a mentee who is a trustee rather than a pensions professional as terms of office are, by their nature, limited.