Kirstin Reblin, National Continuous Improvement Manager, at Premium Corporate Member Opal Cartons, Australia, shares her experience as a NAWO mentor this year and how our program works.

How does the mentor program work? What is your role as a mentor?

When I read about NAWO mentoring, I immediately applied to NAWO for a role as a mentor as I wanted to contribute to this grand program. To be considered as a mentor you need to show your motivation and former mentoring experiences. In the next step, NAWO matched me with four fabulous women whom I first met at the virtual kick-off meeting in February 2021. My role is to facilitate the meeting and guide the team to ask the right questions. I’m impressed by the achieved results and I’m looking forward to following the mentees  career journey into the future.

Why did you volunteer to be a mentor?

It’s my pleasure to see people grow. It energises me to support them on their path of growth, beyond their expectations.

What are the outcomes you have seen for yourself?

The ability to connect with other companies, especially in these COVID times where networking is limited, has been very rewarding. The insights can be compelling and get me thinking of my own challenges from a different perspective. I’m very lucky that throughout my 23-year career I have mentored lots of interesting people. They continue to share their extraordinary stories with me.

What are the benefits of the NAWO Mentor Program for Opal?

The NAWO mentoring program provides Opal team members with the possibility to connect with other manufacturing companies. The focus is on developing and growing female team members. The impact of the program is far beyond one individual, with the influence on the whole team.