As the Drinks Association’s Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program marks its tenth year, it is a fitting moment to reflect on the connections and career moments it has helped create across the industry. Having taken part as a mentee in 2021 and returning as a mentor in 2024, Steve Hill, Head of Channel Marketing - Off Premise & E-commerce at Campari, has seen this firsthand.
For Steve, the experience as a mentee changed the way he approached his career. “Previously, from a career perspective, I was just pushing the accelerator,” he says. “The program made me take the steering wheel and direct where I wanted my career to go.”
That clarity gave him the confidence to map out a longer-term plan and involve senior leaders in it early. Rather than waiting until the program ended, he used the mentoring process to start conversations about his development and future direction, helping to open the door to a cross-functional move within Campari.
Returning as a mentor felt like a natural next step. He was motivated by a genuine interest in supporting others but also by the knowledge that mentoring is a two-way relationship. Working with someone from a different background broadened his perspective and strengthened his own leadership approach. “All the mentors say it – you get so much out of it yourself as well,” he says.
One of the program’s most valuable elements, however, is the network it creates. Through both mentoring relationships and program events, participants build connections across the industry that often last well beyond the formal program. “You realise we’re all facing similar challenges, but you get different ideas and perspectives,” Steve says.
Those connections can influence careers and spark new ideas. For Steve, that sense of community is part of what makes the program so valuable.
His advice to anyone considering applying is simple: if the opportunity comes up, take it and commit fully. The more participants invest in the experience, the more they gain in return.
A decade on, the Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program continues to play a vital role in developing people and strengthening relationships across the drinks industry. For Steve, being involved as both a mentee and a mentor has reinforced just how powerful those connections can be. And how much can change when people are given the space and support to grow.