Dassault Systèmes recently concluded its six-month pilot Women’s Initiative (WIN) mentoring program for women employees in Asia Pacific South. The program, which kicked off in August 2020, saw 17 women employees advised, coached and mentored by Dassault Systèmes’ senior executives in the GEO.

Women in Dassault Systèmes’ nine offices in Asia Pacific South have come up strongly in recent years, comprising over 30% of our people managers. As a world leader in 3D technology and preferred partner for innovation, Dassault Systèmes recognizes that diversity plays a significant role in innovation. The WIN Mentoring program is our way to nurture our next generation of women professionals and promote diversity in the workplace.

As we commemorate International Women’s Day 2021’s #ChooseToChallenge theme in March, we speak to some of the mentors and mentees to find out what they have learned from their mentorship experience.

The Mentees – instilling greater confidence to advance their careers

The program provided the mentees, the opportunity of having the guidance, encouragement and support of experienced mentors to develop their strengths and help them gain more confidence in advancing their careers. Here are some testimonials from the mentees.

The mentoring program opened up Neha Parool, Dassault Systèmes’ Asia Pacific South SIMULIA Industry Process Consultant Specialist, to new ideas and ways of thinking.

“Through this mentoring program, I got the opportunity to make a connection with my Mentor and gain plenty of professional attributes such as becoming a pro-active team player and honing leadership traits. She shared several first-hand experiences from her early career days to her current role which I find very valuable and inspirational for my professional journey.”

Amber Deague-Hall has been working at Dassault Systèmes for two years, starting out in sales operations. She made a decision to transfer to the DELMIA Sales Team in 2021, finding herself in a limbo between the familiar and the new. The WIN mentoring experience helped her navigate the transition smoothly.

“My mentoring experience has helped me to redefine my career path. I am moving into the new position with the hope that this will lead to a fulfilling and prosperous career!”

Melissa Pereira, R&D DELMIA Workforce Planner – Software Engineering Specialist, was grateful for the learnings she had gained from her mentor.

“It was a great learning experience. My mentor and I mostly talked about my role as a scrum master in the team and he helped me to make sure my ideas were properly fleshed out before I implemented them. There was also a bit of work in terms of soft skills so things like being a little bit more confident in answering questions from people and in terms of getting a bit better at change management.”

The Mentors – finding fulfillment in helping in the professional development of women executives

Mentoring is more than the transfer of advice, knowledge and insights. The mentoring relationship offers reciprocal benefits for mentors who often gain personal satisfaction of sharing their skills and experience with willing learners. Here are some insights from our mentors.

Sharon Toh, Dassault Systèmes’ Senior Director, Customer Online Engagement Asia Hub, cited the benefits of mentoring in enabling people to maximize their potential.

“The WIN mentoring program is a strategic weapon for 3DS people and our business. We all need a coach/mentor who will help ‘unlock’ our full potential. As a mentor, I see my mentees changing their mindset about how they see themselves and how to create a value network for themselves in the company.”

For Nasreen Izzat, DELMIA Quintiq Customer Success Director, the WIN mentoring program helped her to better understand and get to know people in other departments in Dassault Systèmes.

“I got exposed to other lines of work within the company, as well as to other departmental cultures within Dassault Systèmes. It was great gaining new friends and expanding my network through the mentoring program.”

Ng Yu Chian, Dassault Systèmes’ Asia Pacific South Sales Operations Excellence Director, had a fulfilling experience being a mentor.

“I gained wonderful insights and understanding of two amazing women executives in Dassault Systemes and feel grateful for the opportunity to help them on their journey.”

In summary, Dassault Systèmes’ WIN mentorship program has proven that mentoring provides the support and environment needed for our female employees to gain visibility to our leadership team and the increased confidence to grow and advance professionally and personally. We mark this year’s International Women Day with a renewed commitment to develop a positive and inclusive Great Place to Work through a thriving mentoring program.