The Regional Head of HR, Talent and Learning for Africa and Middle East (AME) at Standard Chartered, Mrs. Millicent Clarke, has held an interactive mentoring session with some young women from Mentoring Women Ghana, talking through what it takes to transition from graduation to being an effective leader in the workplace, as part of the bank’s agenda of growing and empowering female talent.

Mrs. Clarke, who is in Ghana on a business visit, engaged a number of young women from Mentoring Women Ghana, an NGO which is a member of the Vital Voices 100 network, that aims at empowering and inspiring emerging young women into leadership through various mentoring programmes.

Speaking at the mentoring session, Mrs. Clarke urged the young women to be ambitious about their career and take deliberate actions that lead towards achieving their goals. Recounting her career journey, she encouraged the girls to build a personal brand and let people know who they really are, telling them to ‘be yourself because everyone else is taken’.

She also emphasized the fact that it was important not to forget the contact they have built over the years, as they could be important in their future career. She advised them to take on any higher role that is offered them without feeling inadequate, as that is what will challenge them to work hard and excel in.

Mrs. Clarke said it was important to have a balanced life and so they should learn to work hard and play hard as well, and recommended Miss Brigitte Dzogbenuku for her immense contribution in shaping the lives of these young women.