Mentoring
Important Information
The Melbourne PMI Mentoring community have successfully started the 2026 Mentoring program with the online kick-off in February, attended by over fifty members.
Currently, all active mentors have been connected with mentees, and some mentees are still waiting to be connected with a mentor.
Any mentees applying via Mentorink after the kick-off, will be added to the waiting list.
If a new mentor joins the program or an existing mentor becomes available, the next mentee on the waiting list will be connected with them.
The mentoring program will reopen in February 2027.
About Mentoring
The Melbourne Chapter Mentoring Program is a free benefit available to PMI Melbourne Chapter members.
The PMI Mentoring Program provides an opportunity for mentees to enhance their professional skills and to enjoy working collaboratively with a supportive mentor to achieve their goals. It is also an opportunity for mentors to give back to the profession and to share their experience and knowledge with less experienced project managers.
How does it work?
Our mentoring year starts in February with a kick-off session where prospective mentors and mentees meet. Matching of mentors and mentees is performed based on individual preferences and overlaps in needs and capabilities.
Program participants connect at a Mid-Year Mentoring event and in November, we celebrate the year’s successes.
To join the PMI Melbourne Chapter Mentoring program, you need to be a PMI Melbourne Chapter member and have access to the PMI Melbourne Chapter website.
Mentors and mentees can continue their mentoring relationship beyond this year by mutual agreement. Mentees are able to participate in the program for up to 3 years.
Mentees can only have one program mentor.
Mentors can have multiple mentees but must meet with them separately. A member can be a mentor and mentee at the same time, e.g. be mentored by another mentor and provide mentoring to a more junior/less experienced member.
Benefits of PMI Melbourne Chapter Mentoring Program
Mentoring is based on encouragement, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect and willingness to learn and share. It is also a serious commitment for mentors who give their time to mentees.
Mentoring has become an increasingly popular method of developing professional skills and knowledge. Benefits of mentoring include:
- Opportunity for mentees to enhance project management and people skills.
- Opportunity for both mentors and mentees to learn about project management approaches in other companies, industries, countries.
- An accountability framework for engaging with professional goals.
- PDUs can be claimed by mentors and mentees.
- Just in time support: Mentees receive information and support when they need it.
- Relevance: work issues can be discussed and progressed.
- Satisfaction for mentors when they see mentees achieving their goals.
- Issues discussed during mentoring meetings are strictly confidential.
Hear from our mentors and mentees
There is nothing more rewarding when you as a mentor also learn and benefit as much as the mentee in the relationship. This year was particularly rewarding as we delved into behavioural attributes, real-life challenges in working with difficult stakeholders and managing biases. Along the way we executed multiple strategies over a several months. The outcome was a boost in ability and confidence to have robust conversations that produced exact, planned outcomes. For me, the greatest reward was to see my mentee grow from problem orientation to solution orientation over a period of seven months.
Mentoring in the PMI Mentoring Program was a rewarding experience. I found it highly structured and results-driven, with clear accountability that supports real professional growth. It creates a powerful space for lifting others, and when mentees truly commit to the process, the outcomes can be genuinely transformational.
Becoming a mentee with the PMI Melbourne Chapter last year was a turning point in my career. With the guidance of an exceptional mentor who supported me through interview preparation and professional development, I secured the job I had been aiming for for years. The experience reinforced the power of mentorship and community.
My experience in this year’s programme has been extremely valuable; having the guidance and insights from a mentor has really helped me reflect, grow, and bounce ideas with a senior professional before I implement on the job. It increased my delivery confidence. I have gained practical advice, and the support from my mentor has been very motivating throughout the year
Become a Mentor/Mentee
Are you ready to become a Mentor/Mentee?
To join PMI Melbourne Chapter Mentoring program please apply via the Mentoring application called Mentorink:
You will need to:
- Register and confirm your email address (you will receive a confirmation email).
- Submit your application as either a mentor or mentee.
- Respond to all questions with as much relevant detail as possible.
“How-to” videos are available on the Mentorink website (1-2 minutes) to guide you through the process.
Important: Mentoring Agreement Form
Before participating in the program, both mentors and mentees are required to review and sign the Mentoring Program Agreement Form.
📄 Download the Mentoring Program Agreement Form
To ensure that your application is verified and approved, please send an email along with the signed Mentoring Agreement Form to: mentoring@pmimelbourne.org.
Meet our Mentors
Edward Griffiths
Helen Snitkovsky
Ignacio Inchausti
Jeferson Souza
Kay Shafi-Roden
Kedaar Kale
Keen Chan
Lyn Windsor
Nitin Verma
Ramesh Kulandaivel
Richard Chibuogwu
Rosa Bruno
Victor Zhu
Vikki Kapoor
Recent Mentoring Events
2025 Mid Year Event
In July we held the mid year mentoring event which featured a live panel with five mentors and mentees sharing their experiences. This was a new event style for the program. The panel covered a number of topics including expectations and whether you should have them, navigating difficult conversations, what motivated them to become a mentor or mentee.
Over sixty members joined the event and after the event four new mentors and 10 new mentees joined the mentoring program, inspired by the panel’s stories.
2025 End of Year Event
The end of year event in November featured two mentor-mentee pairs sharing their experiences of working together and a Q&A session with two mentors.
Sohan Gunasekera and Liz Zamora spoke about continuing their mentoring despite a heavy workload and competing priorities. Liz shared how helpful Sohan’s professional assistance was to her. Sohan highlighted that learning and discovery continued for both the mentee and the mentor.
The Q&A session featured Harry Varvarigos and Marcelle Granier, both mentors, responding to questions from the Mentoring team, Frances Kirby, Edward Griffiths and Anna Bakhmoutski, about helping their mentees to navigate professional hurdles and how important it was for a mentor to be prepared to manage unpredictable situations.
Vishal and Kathy, mentor and mentee, were both grateful for the mentoring opportunity and experience, happy that Kathy was able to get a new job during their mentoring year, and looking forward to new mentoring connections in 2026.
Mentoring FAQs
How are Mentors and Mentees matched?
During the Kick-off Event, mentees are given a unique opportunity to meet mentors in a group kick off session and to provide their preferences. Mentee preferences cannot always be met due to mentors’ availability.
Outside of the Kick-off Event, prospective mentors and mentees need to apply via Mentorink. They can be matched with a mentor or mentee depending on availability.
How many Mentees can a Mentor work with?
Mentors can elect to have one or more mentees; however, each mentoring session needs to be one-on-one.
How many Mentors a Mentee can have?
A mentee can have one mentor during each Mentoring Year, to ensure that all mentees get an opportunity to have a mentor.
Can you be both a mentor and a mentee?
Yes.
How often should Mentors and Mentees meet?
A general guideline is to meet at least once a month – some mentors and mentees meet fortnightly for one hour. Mentors and mentees can each claim 1 PDU per 1 hour mentoring session.
Where and how should Mentors and Mentees meet?
Mentoring meetings can be held online or in person according to the partners’ preference.
How long is a Mentoring partnership for?
This program will continue from the Kick-off in February to End of Mentoring Year in late November.
Can a Mentor and Mentee stay partnered for the next year?
How long can a mentee participate in the program for?
Mentees are able to participate in the program for up to 3 years. This ensures that new mentees are able to participate in the program and it is hoped that mentees will transition to be mentors.
What happens if the Mentoring partnership is not working?
If one party feels that the partnership is not working, it is preferable to discuss the issues with the other person first. Has there been a misunderstanding or a difference in expectations? Can the issue be resolved? If the issue is not resolved between the mentor and mentee, please contact the PMI Melbourne Mentoring Program Leader at: Mentoring@pmimelbourne.org
If a change of mentor or mentee is required, it will be organised by Mentoring Program Manager. It is important to learn from what occurred in this partnership and consider how this misunderstanding could be avoided in the future.
What support is provided for Mentors and Mentees?
The Chapter Sponsor and Mentoring Team provide relevant presentations during the mentoring events and are always available to answer your queries.
What experience do I need to become a mentor?
Ideally a mentor will have some experience as a Project Manager and feel that they have some expertise to be able to guide and support others.
How do I claim my PDUs?
Login to https://ccrs.pmi.org with your membership details. In the Report PDUs section, enter the PDUs under Informal Learning, allocating 1 PDU per hour.
Have more questions about Mentoring or interested in getting involved with Mentoring?
Feel free to contact us at: mentoring@pmimelbourne.org
