As many as 25 professional women completed a structured one-year mentoring programme that gave them access to business leaders from across various sectors.

It was conducted by Reach, a non-profit organisation incorporated in the Dubai International Financial Centre, which is dedicated to professional women mentoring and leadership, said a statement.

The organisation marked its first year of operation at its first annual event, which saw mentors, mentees, founders, advisors and partners come together for an evening of engaging speeches and panel discussions around the theme o mentorship, it said.

Established in 2013 by four successful business women, Reach aims to build a community where aspiring female professionals can interact with business leaders.

The mentees are paired with mentors through a specialised online platform that selects the most suitable match by aligning their interests, goals and objectives.

Reach has a strong and diverse advisory committee whose members come from well-known Emirati and multinational institutions and are dedicated to the objectives of the organisation.

They have also partnered with leading multinational corporate and educational organisations including, Thomson Reuters, Clifford Chance, Deloitte, Dentons, Unilever, Servcorp CH2MHill and London Business School (LBS).

Farah Foustok, founder of Reach and chief executive officer of Lazard Gulf, said: “Reach was created to allow for a structured mentoring program and our desire to help develop the next generation of female professionals in the Middle East.

“We identified a gap in mentoring opportunities for women and sought to address it by giving them access to a group of very successful business leaders. It is a journey of hope and inspiration, of new links and opportunities, and the results have exceeded our expectations.”

Meanwhile, the feedback has been very positive and as a result of high demand the second cohort includes two groups, said the statement.

The first consists of 26 pairs that were matched in January and a second group of mentees and mentors was just matched this month and includes 25 pairs, it said.

Fatma Almarri, Reach advisor and CEO of KHDA, said: “Reach offers mentoring, guidance and leadership support for professional women, in order to realize their true abilities and their key roles. These programs will have a positive impact on women to excel both in the workplace and life in general.”

Reach has also partnered with key educational and professional institutions to provide workshops for their mentors and mentees, in addition to a series of informal networking opportunities throughout the year enhance the Reach community and provide continuity for the skills and support needed by professional women. - TradeArabia News Service