Part of the highly in-demand The Women’s Foundation Mentoring Programme, protégé Cecilia Zhang and mentor Ulrike Klemm discuss why mentorship works for women, being vulnerable and leaving a legacy
On the surface, Cecilia Zhang and Ulrike Klemm might not seem to have much in common. Zhang is a boisterous Australian-born-Chinese who is director of strategy and programme at Adidas, while Klemm is a soft-spoken German native who is head of transaction management and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) chair at JLL Hong Kong. Despite their differences—in age, background, culture and industry—they seem to have found the perfect match in each other through mentorship.
The pair first met in October 2020 through The Women’s Foundation’s (TWF) Mentoring Programme, a structured, year-long programme for personal and professional development in Hong Kong that has placed more than 1,400 women since 2009. Highly acclaimed and fiercely competitive, the programme sees hundreds of women across different industries apply each year, with just 50 mentors and 50 protégés making the cut.
“It’s a dating process—and not the Tinder version,” Zhang laughs, which cracks Klemm up beside her. To start, TWF hosts speed dating-like mixers where the mentors and protégés can meet and mingle. “You’re in groups of three to five, rotating around the room and asking the mentors questions. A lot of the protégés tend to be Type As, so it’s very competitive.”
Outside the mixers, protégés can contact the mentors they’re interested in to meet up, and at the end of the month, everyone compiles a shortlist of the top five women they’d like to be paired with and why. TWF takes over from there and voilà—the mentor and protégé pairs are formed.
Throughout the year, TWF organises monthly networking events on different topics such as how to manage your emotions, deal with failure and build a personal brand. These larger events spin off to smaller group mentoring sessions with up to 10 women (five mentor-protégé pairs) each, in addition to the individual mentorship sessions that take place monthly.
“It’s very demanding, time-wise,” says Zhang. “I also want to highlight that [the programme] isn’t just work-related, either. It’s a lot about soft skills too, like self-reflection and self-awareness.”
As for what actually makes a good mentor-protégé match, Zhang says it comes down to chemistry, shared values and whether it’s reciprocal. “I’ve been in many other mentorships that didn’t work because they were really one-sided. It’s basically like a relationship—you have to be vulnerable, honest and willing to communicate openly.”
“As a mentor, it’s very important to listen and remember that it’s not about me, my experience or my story. It’s about the individual [protégé] and what they want to do”
Zhang’s distinct communication style was what drew her to Klemm as well. “We’re both direct communicators,” Klemm says. “We also had common underlying themes where I could see myself in her struggles and how I had overcome them myself. That’s why I thought this could be a very good connection."
Zhang adds, “I knew straight away that we shared similar values—especially her growth mindset, commitment to change and celebration of diversity and individuality. In Asian culture, that’s something I’ve struggled with forever because I’m different, and one of Ulrike’s biggest values from the beginning was that there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Thanks to the support from Klemm and TWF, Zhang has been able to step out of her comfort zone, tackle more challenges and become more effective at work. “Having someone like Ulrike on my side and this support system behind me makes me feel that much stronger and more confident,” she says.
“As a mentor, it’s very important to listen and remember that it’s not about me, my experience or my story,” says Klemm. “It’s about the individual [protégé] and what they want to do. My approach is to listen without judgement or providing advice. If I’m able to provide a different perspective, I will, but I’m not here to tell you what’s right or wrong.”
The benefits of mentorship apply to both genders, but do women in Hong Kong need it more than men? “Mentorship aligns very well with the way females communicate and assess relationships,” says Klemm. “We have a different way of connecting, where we like to do it with purpose and in a safe environment.” Zhang agrees that “having that structure [through TWF] puts us on the same page where we’re here for the same purpose. This makes us able to support each other more formally at first, and then less informally as time goes on.”
Since their involvement in TWF, Zhang and Klemm’s relationship has evolved into a genuine friendship. “[The programme] has really connected me with Hong Kong,” says Klemm. “I’ve met so many people whom I would not have met across all industries and age groups. And, I’ve met a wonderful friend in Cecilia.”
Now as alumni, both women continue to leave their own legacy as women leaders in Hong Kong. “One of my biggest takeaways from the programme is that I believe even stronger in the need for a fully inclusive corporate culture,” says Klemm, who has taken a more active role in policymaking at her company. “If I could leave a legacy, it would be to encourage people to be more comfortable with themselves.”
“For me, it’s about creating these networks to keep TWF going,” says Zhang. “I’m always planning gatherings to keep the old TWF crew together, but at the same time introducing new people to become mentors and protégés.” Having already coached one of her own team members successfully into the programme, she adds, “It’s all about stewardship, advocacy and passing it on.”
This story is part of our Front & Female In Conversation column, which appears monthly in the Tatler print magazine and is a series of discussions between women who are making an impact in their respective regions and fields.