Explore how Menttium’s cross-company mentoring program helped Tony Meale, Sr. Manager of Executive Communications at Discover Financial Services, accelerate his leadership development and career growth. In this inspiring testimonial, Tony shares how his Menttium mentor provided valuable insights, guidance, and support that shaped his professional journey. Through Menttium’s unique, relationship-driven approach to mentoring, Tony reflects on how the experience helped him navigate challenges, expand his perspective, and strengthen key leadership skills. His story demonstrates the transformative power of mentoring relationships and how they drive both personal and organizational success.
Contact us to learn how Menttium’s proven mentoring programs empower professionals to grow, lead, and thrive.
Discover how Menttium’s cross-company mentoring programs accelerate leadership development, strengthen employee engagement, and help professionals navigate the unwritten rules that define success. Our proven mentoring model creates a safe, supportive environment that builds psychological safety and fosters authentic connections across organizations. Menttium equips professionals with the tools and confidence to succeed, enhancing skills like executive presence, crucial conversations, and strategic career growth. Structured mentoring can transform your organization’s culture, drive performance, and inspire lasting professional development.
Contact us to experience how Menttium’s mentoring approach helps individuals and companies thrive.

Over the past year, my mentorship through the Menttium program has been a meaningful catalyst for both my personal and professional growth. One of my biggest takeaways has been gaining confidence after being rotated to a management role leading a team in a domain where I'm not the deepest technical expert. Through my conversations with Rachael, I came to better recognize that the leadership qualities I bring - proactivity, coachability, facilitating collaboration, focusing teams on the most important outcomes, tailoring communication to different audiences, and leading with vulnerability - are real strengths. Rachael's perspective also reinforce that many of the leadership challenges we face - alignment across teams, navigating organizational dynamics and influencing without authority - are universal across enterprise & growth-stage companies. Her experiences helped normalize those challenges and strengthened my confidence in navigating them while staying authentic.
Matt Stehnach | Discover Financial Services

Trish was not only an amazing mentor but has also become a true friend. I deeply appreciated her openness and the way she generously shared her perspective and experiences with me. From our very first conversation, we formed a connection, and she quickly helped me uncover the areas where I needed support. Her guidance was always patient, empathetic, and thoughtful. This mentorship was different from others I've had because it provided meaningful insights that led to immediate results. By applying Trish's guidance, I grew in confidence and was promoted toward the end of our partnership. This outcome reflects just how impactful her mentorship was. I look forward to keeping in touch with Trish beyond the program. This has truly been a wonderful and transformative experience.
Noel James | Evernorth

Tina has been an exceptional mentor—thoughtful, impartial, and deeply insightful. I truly valued gaining perspective from someone outside my organization who clearly understands the complexities and collaboration skills needed in a large company environment. Her commitment to personal growth is evident, and I’m especially grateful for the openness and vulnerability she showed in sharing her experiences with me.
Brenda Ross | U.S. Bank

John was a key driver in making the Menttium experience as great as it was. I was able to come to our meetings with topics around work and life that we would throughly discuss. John from the jump was invested in my career and life which made tackling complex situations seem easy. John has imparted techniques, information, and knowledge that will help me as I continue to grow in my role and beyond.
Matthew Meyer | U.S. Bank

I am incredibly fortunate to have Lori as my mentor through Menttium. Her contributions to my professional development have been transformative, and I am grateful to have her in my network for the rest of my career. Two key outcomes from my experience with Lori are the invaluable career guidance and coaching she provided. She taught me how to navigate challenging situations with colleagues and how to strategically think about my next assignments. Additionally, the external best practices she introduced into our conversations have been indispensable. Thanks to Lori, my confidence and courage have grown, enabling me to stretch beyond my current role and compete for bigger assignments. Her encouragement, validation, insight, thoughtfulness, and intentionality have been inspiring. Lori's career experience and personal journey over the past year have provided me with problem-solving tools and perspectives that are crucial in my role. One of the aspects I am most grateful for is the accessibility Lori has given me to her time. We consistently met twice a month for a full hour each session, and her willingness to invest in me is something I will forever cherish. Lori's mentorship has been a foundation of growth over the past year, and I am deeply appreciative of her dedication and support. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of Menttium and all that I will carry with me from the experience.
Kendra Donahoo | Cigna

Having someone paired with me who shares a similar background and mindset has helped me grow significantly. She pushed my boundaries, offered valuable insights and ideas, and recognized my progress in each of our meetings, celebrating my growth along the way. I truly appreciate every conversation and the opportunity to dive into topics in real time as they arose throughout my career journey. Focusing on personal growth, maintaining work-life stability in this role, and celebrating my successes are experiences I will never forget.
Ellysa Makos | Taylor Corporation

Met a wonderful person and leader that I'll be able to engage with well beyond the length of the program. Having a trusted resource to bounce ideas and thoughts off of, and whose opinion you greatly respect, is invaluable to me. I can't be more appreciative of the time and energy that Ryan brought to our conversations over the past year. His experience, insight, guidance and friendship has improved my skillset as well as outlook on my career and personal life. I can't thank him enough for the commitment and willingness to help me grow as a leader and person.
Mike Kirchoff | Evernorth Health Services

Manuela found me in a hard moment of my career and was essential to me to go through this difficult year, I am closing the year more confident and with a clear path to my development. I am deeply grateful to have her as my mentor.
Lika Okuyama | Ecolab

Angela was an amazing presence this past year. She very gently held the mirror up for me to consider how I was holding myself back. She helped validate the leadership skills I do have and how I need to trust myself more going forward.
Linda Diaz | Evernorth

Brian has been incredible in setting an example into how he conducts himself in his career. The opportunity to pick his brain and assess how to interpret different situations has been particularly helpful. This mentorship program has helped me better understand how I'd like to view my career.
Rahul Rajendran | Evernorth Health Services

This program and Jerry's mentorship came at a critical time in my career, though I did not anticipate that at the outset. Throughout changes and hurdles within my organization, I had the confidence to engage and significantly enhanced my leadership skills and internal visibility. Jerry always made himself available to coach me or support me, and that willingness alone was encouraging. Jerry continuously encouraged me to take risks and make strides towards my stated career goals. He gave me critical feedback in a positive way that helped me see things through different lenses and be more thoughtful in my approach. Throughout the program I had the opportunity to transition to a new role in my organization, and Jerry's mentorship helped give me the confidence to demonstrate and communicate my value in securing the promotion. I am grateful for my organization having nominated me for the Menttium program.
Michelle Dobson | U.S. Bank

Angela was fantastic, flexible, a great listener and had immense amounts of relatable, insightful feedback for all the challenges that were presented. I constantly felt heard, Angela did a great job of recalling details between sessions, and her mentorship has been invaluable to the success and growth I've personally and professionally achieved, over the last 12+ months.
Derek Rose

I have called this experience "career therapy" as it has impacted me by providing an outsider perspective to challenge my thinking and framing, to seek to move forward with objectives with purpose and a solid plan, and has given me a chance to reflect. This has been particularly important in this last year which held several job challenges. Pulling back to frame things once a month has been so helpful, and my mentor has been supportive. He made sure I was challenging assumptions and opened my eyes to how other organizations run things which helped me understand some strengths and weaknesses within better context.
Christi Lane | Cigna

From our very first introduction, my mentor made it easy to connect and create an environment of trust in her guidance. Her open and authentic communication style showed her genuine desire to be impactful to me both professionally and personally. She has made time to support me, even with her own demanding commitments. Her selfless, kindness, and consistent encouragement have meant so much to me. She embodies what true good leadership looks like and gives of herself in a way that is inspiring and up-lifting. I'm deeply grateful for her example and the lasting influence she has had on my development as a leader.
Lelitha Williams | Aflac

This mentoring experience has been one of the best experiences! I connected with Barbara on both a personal and professional level, and I am excited to remain connected with her after this program ends. We were matched perfectly, and her mentorship has been and will continue to be invaluable! She was pivotal as I worked through interviews and landed my new senior manager promotion, which was one of the goals I set out to achieve.
Neha Krishnan | Discover Financial Services

Over the past year, Deanna was someone I could rely on for sound, seasoned guidance as I navigated a variety of challenges—supporting a major merger, managing tight deadlines, addressing complex employee dynamics, completing year-end reviews, onboarding a new team member, and balancing work and personal responsibilities, including recovering from my broken ankle. Her insights helped me remain adaptable, confident, and effective amid constant change. I am genuinely grateful for her guidance and steady support.
Melissa Asbell | Discover Financial Services

I would like to formally acknowledge the profound impact my mentor has had on my professional growth throughout the Menttium partnership. Their guidance, perspective, and unwavering support have been instrumental in shaping my development as a leader and communicator. By sharing invaluable insights and fostering a collaborative environment, my mentor empowered me to boost my confidence and leadership skills, expand my professional network and improve Team dynamics as well as capture tangible improvements in both my personal development and Team performance. Their commitment to my success and willingness to invest in my journey have been truly exceptional, and I am deeply grateful for the positive influence they have had on both my career and personal growth.
Kristin Singer | U.S. Bank

Donna is an outstanding person with vast knowledge, experience and has done everything. To have been partnered with her has helped me grow, develop and succeed.
Jo Pettitt | Discover Financial Services

Tom was an excellent mentor for me to be connected with. He let me drive the engagement in our partnership but met my efforts every step of the way. He was genuine in his work with me. He listened to what I had to say and provided credible challenges and practical ideas for addressing my areas of concern together. This made for a practical partnership that has left me with several repeatable lessons and practices that would not have been able to be covered in pre-prepared materials or talking points.
Ben Palmer | U.S. Bank

Julie has helped me grow in countless ways. We quickly built a deep connection which enabled us to share openly and honestly about our personal and professional lives. She has increased my confidence in the skills I have and helped me to appreciate my unique experiences and how they add value to my organization. She has helped me home in on opportunities and shared tools, resources, and experiences that can help me strengthen my skills so that I can continue to develop as a leader into the future. She has changed the way I think and work and has solidified in me a passion for continuous improvement. Julie has created in me a true commitment to managing my own time and calendar in a way that makes me successful, but also balances the reality of what is not in our control. I am so grateful for our time together and hopeful for continued connections as I believe we have become strong accountability partners for self care, advocacy, personal, and professional development. I cannot thank her enough for all she has done for me!
Meleah DesLauriers | U.S. Bank
Trish was not only an amazing mentor but has also become a true friend. I deeply appreciated her openness and the way she generously shared her perspective and experiences with me. From our very first conversation, we formed a connection, and she quickly helped me uncover the areas where I needed support. Her guidance was always patient, empathetic, and thoughtful. This mentorship was different from others I've had because it provided meaningful insights that led to immediate results. By applying Trish's guidance, I grew in confidence and was promoted toward the end of our partnership. This outcome reflects just how impactful her mentorship was. I look forward to keeping in touch with Trish beyond the program. This has truly been a wonderful and transformative experience.
Noel James | Evernorth
Having a mentor for an entire year has been an amazing experience. Andy has been my work "life coach" and it's been comforting knowing that things that I'm experiencing as a leader are all things that he's been through and can relate to. Also, Andy is very direct and doesn't sugar coat things. Sometimes we have to take uncomfortable approaches to difficult problems and he's helped me greatly to identify when those things are necessary and when to take a softer approach. Overall this experience has been extremely positive and the lessons I've learned I will apply for the rest of my career. Thank you Andy for always taking the time, listening thoroughly and giving me your honest and direct feedback on any given situation. I always looked forward to our conversations and came away feeling positive and energized, even through some really tough times.
Anthony Valdez | U.S. Bank
I am very grateful to this last year with Stephanie as my mentor. She has been an exceptional sounding board and she helped me, tremendously, in striking a balance when my plate was very full. She helped me 'dial back' when I was putting too much on my shoulders and provided multiple paths to solutions. Looking back, she was consistent in her messaging which helped me turn some corners 🙂 even if I didn't the first time she said it, I got over some hurdles later in the year and she was pivotal in some of those key successes. It [The Menttium Program] gave me a view into the importance of professional Networking outside of my organization. Additionally, the 'timeliness' of this opportunity in conjunction with a significant career change that I have gone through this year was more critical than I could have imagined. The Menttium relationship provided a level of support that I was not prepared to seek elsewhere and didn't realize I needed but it 'paid dividends' in helping me be successful through major organizational head wins and both strategic and leadership evolutions that have occurred over the past year.
Jen Hessing
Jill's guidance was instrumental to my success this past year. She established trust be being open about her experiences and encouraged me to discuss my aspirations and goals. Our company was acquired this past year and Jill shared how she found success through change and transition which was invaluable for me! I am so grateful to have been matched with Jill - her mentorship was a perfect blend of support and challenge, pushing me out of my comfort zone while providing me with the tools and insights I needed.
Stephanie | Discover Financial Services
My mentor took a fairly no nonsense approach to management, and I struggled with that a bit. I had a hard time having the harder conversations with team members who had clear areas of opportunity. She helped me approach those conversations with a different lens and I am using those skills in my daily work, and personal, life. She also helped me think about my worth and my brand in a new way. Stephanie was an exceptional mentor. She helped me understand the power of personal brand, creating your own "peer board" inside and outside of work, processes for managing up when necessary and getting down to business when having tough conversations with team members. The resources she suggested have been so helpful, and I incorporate them into my own team's development. I am so thankful for her gift of time over the last year.
Candice Lester | GM Financial
I gained so much through this experience, but I think more than anything else I can say I am now more confident in myself than I was a year ago. My mentor helped me see that more often than not, my instincts on what to do are correct. I think I am also a better coach to others as a result of this experience. I greatly admire my mentor's vulnerability in sharing her own experiences to help me, and I aspire to be that open with people that seek my guidance, as well.
Cody Wolkowitz | Ecolab
I am so thrilled to have met and learned from Ted in a life-changing way - I feel confident, understand where I still have work to do and believe I can get there, and have found ways to further influence at a leadership level in my organization that I don't think I would have been able to do without Ted's mentorship.
Jenny Brulc | General Mills
My mentor's wisdom, patience, and encouragement have made a significant impact on my personal and professional growth. My mentor shared her expertise, challenged me to think critically, probing into my own experiences and outcomes, while offering alternate mechanisms to change the outcome to a desired outcome. Her mentorship has been invaluable, and I am truly fortunate to have her as a guide.
Sirisha Chinamuttevi | Allstate
First, my mentor could not have been a better fit for me. I was very excited to know that I was working with another veteran. I am so appreciative of his council and advice in a year that had a multitude of professional roller coaster situations. His ability to help me navigate this year has given me confidence and courage. I am forever grateful for this experience! I would never have guessed the power of a mentor that is outside of my organization. I am forever grateful for my mentor's advice in times that I needed a sounding board from someone not in my chain of command.
Thomas Rusk, The Cigna Group
I had a wonderful experience meeting and working with my mentor throughout the year. Her deep expertise, thoughtful and unique views helped me work through challenges with ease and, most importantly great fun. She was a perfect match and I feel so blessed that I was able to partner with her.
Marianne Perben, ISO New England, Inc.
I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. This experience has brought me out of my comfort zone. The timing was great for this engagement. I was moving into supporting a new business and working with a new product. I was very uneasy about it but I learned that its okay to ask a lot of questions and admit when you need more understanding. I learned to rely on the team and I don't have to be the SME or work through everything myself. I haven't overcome this completely, but I'm more aware and adjusting everyday.
Angela Milbrandt, U.S. Bank
What I expected to get out of this mentorship and what I received exceeded expectations. I received valuable knowledge to think outside of the box and build a brand not only at my company but in outside endeavors to reach my full potential. The ideas and knowledge my mentor provided were life changing and I am very grateful for the Menttium experience.
Jennifer Weems, Voya Financial
Diane has been a life changer. The skills I have gained from her wisdom and experience will undoubtedly change the projection of my path in this company for the better. I am a better leader, a better teammate and a better employee because of her guidance over the last 12 months.
Amanda Ingram, Trinchero Family Estates
My confidence has grown. I have redefined how I lead "strategic" work and leverage my unique strengths to add value. Outcomes: I developed personal toolkit for setting a vision and strategy. I created structure for managing strategic time. Urmi is PHENOMENAL. She has a gift to listen and hear, to calm and guide. I very much appreciated her coaching both personally and professionally and think of her as a friend.
Amanda Thor, General Mills, Inc.
I am a new, better version of myself. In this Menttium journey, I have not left anything behind that I once possessed but have enhanced each quality, each talent and each skill to better serve my personal and professional aspirations...It's all been such a positive and surreal experience. Alison, my mentor, has invested so much time, energy and wisdom into my life and I am humbled and so thankful for the match Menttium gave me in her. So many life lessons shared and many more professional golden nuggets imparted into my future. Thank you Alison. Thank you, Menttium. This has been absolutely phenomenal.
Sabrina Redfearn-Clark, Allstate Insurance Company
My mentor, Janice has guided me through change within my company due to acquisition. Her mentorship has given me great insight into how to successfully navigate change. It has enabled me to see the broader picture as an HR professional to guide employees through this change too.
Brigitte Harrison, Horizon Therapeutics
My Mentor was simply AWESOME and AMAZING! I valued all of her opinions, suggestions and insights of how to be a better me. For that, I will ALWAYS be grateful and appreciative. She is such a valuable person to this program and if I was in her area, I would just love to be her assistant. All the time she has put in with me, has significantly contributed to my growth and development. I am now sharing her insights and leadership with my co-workers internally and some of my organizations externally. My Mentor was the best!
Lewis Nelson, Allstate Insurance Company
My mentor was fantastic! She was inspirational and also very humble. I felt supported and safe talking to her about anything. She helped me navigate global management and even improved my self-care by setting a fabulous example.
Molly Johnson, Voya Financial
Menttium’s Executive Mentoring Program allowed me the opportunity to partner with another executive outside of my industry, and comfort zone. My Mentor was invaluable as we talked about critical lessons he learned throughout his career – from transforming businesses, making major changes, understanding market dynamics, and addressing people issues. I would strongly recommend this program for anyone who is seeking a fresh perspective on how to approach their business challenges.
Natalie Stute | Jostens, Inc.
I currently have internal mentors, but by far, have found the most value in this experience. He was an unbiased mentor where I felt my personal and career development was the only focus.
Lucy Vongdeuan, U.S. Bank
With the guidance of my mentor I have become more thoughtful about my approach toward people and problems and have also instituted a pricing model that will generate increased revenue for my organization.
Carol Kuha, RBC
I was able to look at myself and my goals more holistically. If I think about a turning point, it was probably during the Menttium mentoring program. It was a great journey for me. It made a difference.
Jennifer Meyer | UnitedHealth Group
We have found that our internal and cross-company mentoring programs help us retain our high potential employees and support a key business goal of creating and maintaining a diverse and engaged workforce.
Larry Mosner, Deluxe Corporation
The Menttium experience inspired me. By sharing experiences with my mentor, I was able to realize that I had the potential to achieve much more than I ever imagined.
Elaine Frydrych, Comerica
[Conversations with my mentee] were a tremendous learning experience as well as a “flashback to the past” while I coached her through some of the same experiences I lived through. Unfortunately for me, I had to learn through trial and error rather than having a mentor to offer guidance and validate my experiences.
Patricia Caldwell, MFRI, Inc.
What stands out for me, every time I meet a new mentee, is an awesome sense of possibility — the possibility to help someone achieve her dreams, the possibility to challenge myself, the possibility to learn new things.
John Popoli, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
I developed a strong relationship with my mentor. She offered excellent advice on all situations we discussed. Even when I didn’t think I really needed any guidance and we were just discussing current events, she offered insight and suggestions that were invaluable!
Catherine Williamson, Ceridian
Being a part of Menttium 100 has been instrumental in changing my career focus and my approach to development. In the past I allowed my career to “happen” to me. Now, “I” make my career happen. It was a significant change and I credit my mentor for that shift in thinking.
Debra Helget, 3M