Mentoring and Sponsoring Women Mentoring and Sponsoring Women
How to design mentoring and sponsorship that move women into leadership.
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
Women in management today
Women hold a minority of management jobs
In 2024, women held under half of senior and middle management jobs in each country.
- United States 44.3%44.3%
- France 38.7%38.7%
- Brazil 38.1%38.1%
- Spain 37.0%37.0%
- Netherlands 28.5%28.5%
- Germany 27.7%27.7%
- Italy 25.3%25.3%
- Türkiye 21.5%21.5%
The broken rung
The gap opens at the first promotion
For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 93 women were.
The sponsor gap
Women get less sponsorship, especially early on
At entry level, 31% of women had a sponsor, against 45% of men.
- Entry level, women 31%31%
- Entry level, men 45%45%
- Mid level, women 51%51%
- Mid level, men 54%54%
- Senior level, women 66%66%
- Senior level, men 72%72%
Why sponsors matter
Sponsored people are promoted more often
65% of those with a sponsor were promoted in two years, against 35% without.
- With a sponsor 65% promoted in two years
- Without a sponsor 35% promoted in two years
Formal and informal mentors
Formal pairs lag behind informal ones
Protégés of informal mentors earned more; the formally mentored did no better than the unmentored.
- No mentor the baseline
- Formal mentor no clear difference
- Informal mentor more pay, more career gains
Access to powerful mentors
Watch who gets the powerful mentors
Women MBAs less often had White male mentors, the group linked to higher pay.
What mentors give
Check what kind of help mentors give
Male mentors reported more career help, female mentors more psychosocial support; effects were small.
- Men as mentors more often mentors, more career help
- Women as mentors more psychosocial support
Setting up sponsorship
Give sponsors goals and check-ins
The report advises well-placed leaders, clear expectations, defined success and regular check-ins.
- A sponsor who can open doors
- Written expectations on both sides
- Success defined: stretch roles, promotions
- Regular check-ins on progress
What to measure
Count promotions, not only satisfaction
Track who moves up, who has a sponsor and who gets stretch roles.
- Promotions by gender, each year
- Sponsorship share with a sponsor, by level
- Stretch roles who gets them
- Retention a year after the program
Sources
The research behind this presentation
- World Bank (2026) Female share of employment in senior and middle management (%), SL.EMP.SMGT.FE.ZS, from ILO data World Bank, World Development Indicators
- LeanIn.Org & McKinsey & Company (2025) Women in the Workplace 2025 LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company
- Ragins, B. R. & Cotton, J. L. (1999) Mentor functions and outcomes: A comparison of men and women in formal and informal mentoring relationships Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(4), 529-550
- Dreher, G. F. & Cox, T. H., Jr. (1996) Race, gender, and opportunity: A study of compensation attainment and the establishment of mentoring relationships Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(3), 297-308
- O’Brien, K. E., Biga, A., Kessler, S. R. & Allen, T. D. (2010) A meta-analytic investigation of gender differences in mentoring Journal of Management, 36(2), 537-554
Pair mentors with senior sponsors
Then count who moves up, level by level, every year.