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Bridging the Gap and Building Beneficial Connections

How Causeway is connecting more and more young professionals with experienced leaders in our network through our Professional Partners Programme.


It is now one year on since Causeway: Ireland Scotland Business Exchange launched our Professionals Partners’ Programme, a membership benefit that is offered exclusively to Causeway members, that aims to formally connect experienced leaders with young professionals in our network for reverse mentoring, guidance and support. 

Causeway's Professional Partners’ Programme aims to create a unique opportunity for reverse mentoring and professional support for both members involved. Unlike other mentoring programmes, Causeway’s Professional Partners’ Programme offers two-way mutual benefits to both young professionals and experienced leaders in our Causeway network, including:

  • An opportunity for young professionals to get support in their career journeys from more experienced leaders who will share their skills, experience, expertise, networks and provide a trusted listening ear.  Basically, you will get the opportunity to connect with someone with lots of experience to have an informal chat with – about your career aspirations or anything you think might help you with your career at this point in time.
  •  An opportunity for experienced leaders to learn from younger talent and get a different perspective than that of their usual peer group.  Our Young Professional Members can help experienced leaders to think in a different way, to become more digitally savvy and to better connect with Millennials and Gen Z.

Since the programme launched, a number of matches have been made in the programme, sometimes connecting people in the same sector and opposite career stages, or sometimes in a completely different sector for wider reflection and insights from a different perspective. One of those matches is between  Causeway Member, Managing Director of AM Bid, David Gray based in Edinburgh, Scotland and Young Professional Member, Jane Crumlish, based in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Commenting the value of taking part in the programme, David said:

“I’ve really benefited from hearing the unique and insightful perspectives Jane offers as a young professional in the early stages of what I’m sure will be a very successful career. Jane has shared experiences that have allowed me to consider approaching specific business activities differently to achieve better outcomes, for example, in talent acquisition and onboarding. 

“As leaders, we should always be open to fresh perspectives, new ideas and learnings, which the Professional Partnership Programme offers me. It also allows me to share some of my relevant experiences, where they might benefit Jane in her career progression, which is very rewarding. I’d highly recommend the programme to young professionals and business leaders alike.”    

Jane, David's young professional partner added her perspective on the benefits she experienced by saying: 

“Speaking with David as part of the Professional Partners Programme has really helped me navigate the uncertain times we all experience when starting out on our early career journeys. Simply listening to his stories about how he navigated his early career, which has now flourished into a phenomenal business, equipped me with confidence and useful wisdoms that I applied when choosing my new role.  It’s also been a wonderful opportunity to share some of my experiences as a young professional with someone who can implement positive changes in a company to help those starting out in their careers. I could not recommend the programme more.”


Get Involved

Taking part in Causeway's Professional Partners' Programme is a benefit of membership - read more about the Professional Partners Programme and how to take part here. Causeway Business Membership starts from £360, however for young professionals under-30-years-old, we offer a '£30 for the under-30s' annual membership rate. Find out more about the benefits of Causeway membership and sign up to join our growing network today! 


Connecting with Causeway at Christmas, with Spotlight on our Professional Partners Programme


All are welcome to join Causeway for an online festive networking session at 4pm on Thursday 9 December 2021.

As well as breakout networking sessions,  at this event we there will be some spotlight Q&A chats with participants of our Professionals Partners' Programme sharing their experiences and views on the benefits of the programme.

All are welcome to join this online event - register here.




Author: Aoife O'Sullivan

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About The Author

Aoife O'Sullivan

Aoife is currently Business Engagement and Communications Manager at Edinburgh Napier University, supporting the Research, Innovation and Enterprise section of the university to showcase its research and expertise through its Innovation Hub, and helping to build business connections and collaborations between industry and academia that spark innovations and encourage industry growth. Focus areas are in the specific fields of: AI & advanced technologies; health; environment; and culture and communities.

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