To launch the start of the 2026 Haileybury Leaders Mentoring Programme, mentors and mentees from past and present cohorts gathered at the Oriental Club in London for an evening of connection, insight and inspiration.
The evening featured a lively fireside chat hosted by the Master, with the impressive panel of Botazhan Makhambetova (Colvin, 2013), Penny Markson (current parent) and Pummy Seehra (current parent). Exploring the theme of The Power of Connection, the panel shared personal stories illustrating how mentors and networks have shaped their professional journeys – offering practical advice, genuine inspiration and thoughtful reflections on the value of building meaningful relationships.
Conversations delved into themes such as challenging oneself, cultivating genuine connections, and recognising everyday opportunities to expand professional and personal networks. The panellists also highlighted the advantage of the Haileybury Connect community, and how shared experiences and School connections can make networking with others easier and more impactful.
Guests were invited to pose questions, sparking a dynamic discussion that offered this year’s new cohort valuable real-time advice on how to make the most of their mentoring year. The evening concluded with a vibrant networking reception, where conversations flowed, contact details were exchanged and new connections began to form.
Our warm thanks go to the panel and all who attended for making the evening such an inspiring start to the year. We look forward to following the progress of this year’s cohort and the connections they continue to build throughout 2026.
Find out more about Haileybury Leaders Mentoring and our other career and mentoring programmes here.