Sanila Singh, Senior Category Manager at Hill-Smith Family Estates, had already built a career in India's drinks industry when she moved to Australia four and a half years ago. Continuing it here meant not only learning the Australian market but also building her network across the industry.
"Establishing myself would require more than understanding the market," she said. "It required learning from the people who shape the industry, immersing myself in its culture and building trusted relationships from the ground up."
With the support of her manager and company, she attended a range of Drinks Association events, including networking breakfasts, International Women's Day and the Australian Drinks Awards. She says that joining the 2026 cohort of the Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program was a “purposeful next step” and “an opportunity to learn from experienced leaders and colleagues, build meaningful relationships and strengthen my ability to lead with empathy, curiosity and inclusion.”
Now at the mid-point of the program, we spoke with Sanila and her mentor, Sharon Markulin, Finance Director APAC at Sazerac, about their experience of the program to date.
A leader who asks rather than tells
Sharon signed up to mentor because of the leaders who did the same for her. “I’ve been fortunate to have a number of leaders invest their time in me throughout my career, and those conversations have often helped shape important decisions and opportunities along the way,” she said.
What she now brings to the pairing is not, by her own account, answers.
“Early in my career, I thought mentoring was mostly about giving advice, but I’ve come to realise that asking the right questions is often more valuable,” Sharon said. “Drawing on my leadership experience has been helpful but creating a space for open and honest conversations has been just as important.”
Sanila describes the effect from the other side of the table. “Sharon created a safe and trusted space where I felt comfortable having honest and vulnerable conversations,” she said. “She quickly understood my personality, strengths and challenges, listening deeply and tailoring her guidance to my development goals.”
The trust arrived faster than Sharon expected and took the conversations past career logistics and into leadership challenges and personal development.
Neither is being handed a template for leadership. “Most importantly, she recognises that my journey is different and empowers me to develop a leadership style that is both authentic to who I am and aligned with the leader I aspire to become,” Sanila said.
The learning runs in both directions. “I’ve enjoyed hearing a different perspective on leadership, career development and what people are looking for from workplaces today,” Sharon said. “Those conversations have challenged some of my thinking.” Sanila hopes what she has offered comes from building a career across countries and cultures, adapting to a new one and approaching the whole thing with curiosity and resilience.
The mentee in the driver’s seat
The facilitated workshops, led by Serendis’ Julie Washington, have given both a set of tools and a way of using them. For Sanila, one lesson has reshaped how she runs the relationship itself.
“A key lesson that I have implemented is that the mentee is in the driver’s seat and must take ownership of the mentoring relationship,” she said. “By sharing a clear agenda ahead of each meeting, my mentor and I arrive well prepared and can focus on long-term strategic development rather than immediate tactical matters.”
Sharon has taken the same principle into her own preparation. “They’ve reinforced the importance of asking thoughtful questions and helping the mentee arrive at their own insights, rather than jumping straight into problem-solving,” she said.
The discipline shows in the sessions. “Sanila comes to our sessions prepared, asks great questions and is willing to challenge herself,” Sharon said. “It’s been really rewarding to see her reflect on her goals and think more broadly about what’s possible in her career.
Why inclusive leadership and why now
Inclusive leadership is not an abstraction for Sanila. “Having personally experienced what it means to enter a new environment and build a sense of belonging, inclusive leadership resonates deeply with me,” she said. “The program has helped me consider not only the leader I want to become, but also how all of us can create an environment in which others feel included, valued and empowered to succeed.”
Sharon’s advice to other senior leaders is to take the opportunity when it comes. “While the goal is to support the mentee’s development, mentors get just as much out of the experience,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to learn from someone else’s perspective, give back to the industry and contribute to developing future leaders.”
2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program.