A look into Her World’s Mentorship Programme 2025 kickoff event

This year, the Her World Mentorship Programme returns for its third edition with a renewed focus: supporting women as they re-enter the workforce after a career break. Whether they’re stepping back into the corporate world, pivoting into new industries or simply seeking clarity, the programme provides mentees with guidance from seasoned professionals.

Held at the exclusive Mandala Club, the launch event brought together eight accomplished mentors and their mentees for the very first time. Among the attendees were representatives from the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), and Clé de Peau Beauté – the programme’s official beauty partner.

At the event, Her World’s editor-in-chief, Elizabeth Lee, and senior features editor, Chelsia Tan, spoke about the vision behind this year’s programme and honoured the inspiring women driving its success.

“This year, the Her World Mentorship Programme spotlights women re-entering the workforce. Whether they’ve taken time off for further studies, caregiving, or a stint overseas, there are many reasons women pause their careers.

With this programme, our goal is to pair mentees with the right mentors – each a remarkable leader in her field – to help them navigate their comeback with confidence,” Elizabeth shares.

Meet the mentors

This year’s mentor lineup includes industry leaders and trailblazers across HR, tech, finance, and more:

1. Roselin Lee, vice president of HR, Shiseido Asia Pacific
2. Gloria Arlini, CEO, Generation Singapore
3. Fernn Lim, COO, audax
4. Helen Lim, general manager of transformation excellence, Shell
5. Novita Jong, tech & startup business executive, NUS Innovation & Enterprise
6. Rocky Esguerra, executive coach
7. Foo Siew Ting, leadership consultant, marketing expert, and author
8. Carol Lum, Senior investment director, Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)

Together, these mentors bring decades of insight to the table and a deep empathy for the unique challenges women face when returning to work.

At a glance

During the event, mentees had the opportunity to connect with mentors in small-group sessions to share their goals, challenges, and hopes for the months ahead. Over the next six months, mentor-mentee pairs are encouraged to meet regularly and work towards individualised goals for growth in their career path.

When asked what she hopes to gain from the programme, mentee Cecilia Tia shares, “I’ve been a full-time mum for over a decade, and with the new year, I wanted to do something for myself – like meeting new people and starting a new chapter in my career. I’m excited to learn from successful women who can offer guidance and meaningful advice. Hopefully, it’ll help ease the learning curve for those of us returning to the workforce.”

As the evening unfolded, the room pulsed with warmth and a shared sense of purpose. From candid conversations to stories of resilience, the kickoff set the stage for what promises to be a transformative journey ahead.