The firm needed to increase the number of women in their "120 Key Roles"—the senior positions critical to organizational success.

Dr. Suzanne Doyle-Morris focused specifically on successor planning for those roles, recognizing that without intentional pipeline development, the gender imbalance would perpetuate indefinitely.

The ultimate goal wasn't just promotions for individual women, but creating a replicable system that would systematically develop female leaders and ensure each of the 120 Key Roles had diverse succession options.

Though the corporate client first asked for a mentoring programme, Dr. Doyle-Morris recommended developing a structured 'sponsorship programme' specifically designed to move women closer to attaining Key Role status.

The critical innovation was her underlying remit throughout: encouraging the leaders paired with these women to adopt active sponsorship behaviours—a form of support professional women often lack.

Programme Design

Participant selection:

• 11 female mentees: High-potential women running for promotion or job stretch within the next 12 months that could take them into one of the 120 Key Roles

• 11 Executive Committee mentors: Pairing each woman with an Exco member (10 male, 1 female)

• Strategic pairings: Dr. Doyle-Morris guided the selection to maximize learning and advocacy potential

Programme structure:

• Sponsor training: Delivered by Dr. Doyle-Morris to shift mindset from passive advice-giving to active sponsorship

• Sponsee training: Prepared women to leverage relationships strategically and advocate for themselves

• Individual check-ins: Regular monitoring to ensure both partners stayed on track for agreed goals

• Group sessions: Collective learning and accountability for sponsors and sponsees to expand their thinking

The Sponsorship Distinction

Unlike traditional 'mentoring' focused on advice and support, Dr. Doyle-Morris emphasized sponsorship behaviours:

• Active advocacy: Speaking up for sponsees in promotion discussions

• Strategic visibility: Creating opportunities for sponsees to showcase capabilities

• Political capital: Using sponsor's influence to open doors

• Behind-closed-doors support: Advocating when sponsees weren't present

• Concrete opportunities: Connecting mentees to stretch assignments and key stakeholders

The programme delivered measurable outcomes for both sponsees and sponsors, while creating a model for sustainable leadership development of women in financial services.

Results for 11 Sponsees

Career advancement:

• 5 spondees promoted during the programme (45% promotion rate within 12 months)

• Others on track for stretch roles that would position them for Key Role succession plans

Organizational commitment:

• 7 were more committed to staying with the organization than previously—addressing retention risk for high-potential women

• Demonstrated that visible investment in women's careers strengthens loyalty

Performance and confidence:

• 9 felt more successful in their current roles because of their mentor's guidance

• Improved effectiveness even before formal promotion

Advocacy and sponsorship:

• 10 felt their sponsor would now advocate for them behind closed doors (91% gained active sponsor)

• This was the critical shift from mentoring to sponsorship

Results for 11 Executive Committee Mentors

Perspective transformation:

• Mentors reported viewing female career progression from a new perspective

• Understanding barriers they hadn't previously recognized

Programme replication:

• 2 participating Exco members started separate sponsorship programmes in their own business units using Dr. Doyle-Morris' model

• Organic scaling beyond the initial cohort

Sustained engagement:

• Dr. Doyle-Morris invited back by sponsors the following year

• Asked to broaden the programme in Year 3

• Sponsor enthusiasm drove expansion rather than HR mandate

Systemic Impact

The programme's success demonstrated:

• Replicable model: Other business units adopted the approach

• Executive buy-in: Mentors became advocates for expanding the programme

• Pipeline development: More women positioned for succession into Key Roles

• Cultural shift: Active sponsorship becoming normalized leadership behaviour

• ROI evidence: Clear connection between structured development and promotions

The firm moved from a crisis of female succession planning to a systematic approach that developed women in financial services leadership. Simultaneously the programme educated senior male executives about barriers and solutions.