Mentors helped their mentees successfully secure jobs in the financial services sector and gained new, unexpected soft skills
by Lauren Johnson, CISI copywriter
Become a member today
In 2022, we introduced the CISI Mentoring Scheme to enable members to establish strong and trustworthy relationships globally to gain knowledge, confidence and self-awareness for professional development. The scheme is available globally and to date, members from over 50 countries have registered.
We introduced the CISI Mentor of the Year Award in November 2023, and as of January 2024, the platform offers members the option of reverse mentoring.
Read about CISI Mentor of the Year winner Tsitsi Mutiti, Chartered FCSI, and her mentee Beverley Aubrey ACSI.
Nicholas Khan-Roper, Chartered FCSI and Romeo Eliav-Cruz, Chartered MCSI, were both CISI Mentor of the Year finalists for their thoughtful approaches to supporting and encouraging their mentees, Mohammed Usman Ali and Kathleen Williams.
Each mentor found new learning opportunities. Nicholas (‘Nick’) developed listening skills while mentoring Mohammed from April to October 2023, which he says was an unexpected hidden value in the mentorship. “I’ve learned that you can’t really help someone until you listen and understand their dreams and ambitions.” He also learned the importance of a careful, detailed approach to his relationship with his mentee.
Romeo’s mentorship with Kathleen started in May 2023 and is ongoing. He says Kathleen has fantastic attention to detail, especially when recording and retaining what she has learned. Her approach has inspired him to improve his own skills. “I’ve tried to become more structured in recording key details after an interaction.”
Nicholas Khan-Roper, Chartered FCSI
CIO at a single family office, Dubai
Nick says mentoring Mohammed was “simply wonderful”, and it reminded him of when he started his career.
“Being nominated for CISI Mentor of the Year is a very proud moment and has made me even more determined to provide guidance and counsel where I can.”
Mohammed says he would have most likely returned to his previous role in customer services if it hadn’t been for Nick’s teachings about the financial services sector. Mohammed’s persistence and dedication to learning about finance and eventually working in the sector reminded Nick that “those that succeed have a thirst for knowledge”.
Nick says that financial services professionals play a vital role in society. Before their last meeting, he encouraged Mohammed to pay his help forward to other professionals. “We are ‘chaperones’ in people’s lives, and it’s important to pass that belief on to the next generation of advisers.” For Nick, “it would be an even more proud moment” for him when Mohammed helps and supports someone else the way Nick has him.
“I would like to thank the CISI for giving me the tools to methodically support mentees.”
- The CISI Mentoring Scheme offers facilities for arranging meetings and setting agendas and goals, along with training tools and guides.
Mohammed Usman Ali
Protection adviser at LifeSearch, Yorkshire
“Having Nick as my mentor has changed my life,” Mohammed says. He took a career break in early 2023 to work towards a career in financial services. During this time, he joined the CISI Mentoring Scheme and was matched with Nick, who helped him by recommending qualifications to progress his career, preparing him for the level 6 Private Client Investment Advice & Management exam (coming up in June) and giving him advice beyond work. As a result of his guidance, Mohammed secured his role at LifeSearch in January 2024, a few months after their mentorship ended. “Without Nick, I wouldn't have a clear idea of the financial services industry or how to get a job within it.”
Mohammed was thankful to learn more from Nick about how financial advice firms are structured. It’s not all about work, though. “The most important thing I have learned from Nick is about having balance in life.” He now marks his calendar to ensure he prioritises work, family and personal time for his wellbeing.
Romeo Eliav-Cruz, Chartered MCSI
Senior vice president in Global Markets at Citi, London
Romeo moved to the UK from Brazil in the 1980s and, like our CISI Mentor of the Year winner, Tsitsi, found himself navigating a new culture. He didn’t have much support in the early stages of his career and learned through trial and error. By joining the scheme, he planned to help others avoid pitfalls and tribulations and pass on what he had learned.
Being nominated for CISI Mentor of the Year was a “huge surprise and an honour,” he says. “It’s a sign my mentee appreciates my advice and support, and it's truly a privilege to play a small role in her rapid success.” Since Romeo started mentoring Kathleen, she has gone from being an accounting and business management student at Penn State University to a senior institutional sales assistant at FHN Financial and was promoted to vice president in January 2024.
Romeo values openness and transparency when giving advice – an approach that Kathleen appreciates. “Transparency extends beyond examples of when I have excelled and includes describing relevant situations where I have failed or could have done things better.”
He finds Kathleen exceptionally bright, charismatic and hard-working and thoroughly enjoys mentoring her. “I am very proud of everything she is doing and look forward to her continued success.”
Kathleen Williams
Vice president at FHN Financial, Memphis
“Romeo’s transparency has motivated me to embrace both victories and failures as integral parts of the learning process.”
In every session with Romeo, Kathleen has been coming away with actionable advice, which she has been acting on, unlocking each new stage in her career. In one of their meetings, Romeo emphasised the importance of Kathleen having a clear vision for her career. As a result, she has been making tangible strides towards turning her career progression goals, moving up to senior roles into reality.
The most important lesson she has learned from her mentor so far is goal setting with specific written objectives. She wrote out long-term goals, backtracked them to the one-year mark and divided them into monthly aims. “Writing goals and breaking them down helped me identify step-by-step actions. It lifted a weight of anxiety off my shoulders and reduced my likelihood of burnout since I knew exactly where I was heading.”
Nicholas and Romeo helped their mentees, Mohammed and Kathleen, ensure a smooth transition into financial services by providing them with direction and reassurance. The mentors have also gained new skills in the process.
Upcoming spotlight
Read our profile of the winner of one of our most prestigious qualifications: the Chartered Wealth Manager.
Lauren N. Johnson is a passionate storyteller who actively contributes to The Review. She writes a variety of articles, including features, profiles, event promotions and coverage, and softer focus pieces. She also writes extensively outside work, covering culture, lifestyle, people and the state of society.
CISI members can sign in to continue reading