End the Year with Intention
Cultivate Purpose
Cultivate Sponsorship: Activating visibility, advocacy, and advancement for underrepresented and high-potential talent to empower organisations to retain and promote leaders from within.
From the Desk of Katriina Tähkä
Founder & CEO, Cultivate
As the year draws to a close, reflection becomes powerful, not passive.
November is about taking stock with intention: recognising progress, re-centring on purpose, and closing the year with clarity.
Across every Cultivate program this year, one theme has stood out – intentional leadership changes everything.
When sponsors lead with curiosity, when sponsees act with conviction, and when organisations make space for growth, visibility turns into opportunity and potential becomes legacy.
The end of the year isn’t about slowing down. It’s about finishing consciously.
“Intentional leadership changes everything.”
– Katriina Tähkä, Founder & CEO
Feature Topic: End the Year with Intention
The close of the year offers more than performance reviews and planning sessions.
It’s an opportunity to pause. To ask not just what did we achieve, but how did we grow?
This edition explores how reflection, gratitude, and purpose-led sponsorship create momentum that carries forward into 2026.
Inside this edition:
- How intentional reflection shapes long-term leadership impact
- A first look at the 2025 Cultivate Impact Report
- Alumni stories: what ending the year with clarity looks like
- Data insights: why sponsorship drives retention and renewal
“I used to think reflection meant slowing down. Now I see it’s how leaders refocus – so we can start the new year clear, not just busy.”
– AECOM Alumni, 2024
Early Insights from the 2025 Cultivate Impact Report
The data tells a clear story – intentional sponsorship drives measurable change.
Across Cultivate Alumni:
- 67% have advanced to senior or high-visibility roles since completing the program.
- 92% remain with their employer post-program, and 42% say Cultivate directly influenced their decision to stay.
- 73% maintain active sponsorship relationships beyond graduation.
- 75% regularly apply wellbeing and reflection tools learned through the program
“Having my sponsor witness my work closely brought them clarity on my capability and direction. It gave them confidence to advocate for me in ways that truly mattered.”
– Cultivate Alumni, 2024
“This program changed my life. I’m more confident, and not waiting for good things to happen anymore.”
– Sponsee, 2024
These outcomes show what happens when organisations and leaders end the year with intention – growth that lasts, relationships that deepen, and performance that sustains.
Sneak Peek: The 2025 Cultivate Impact Report
Launching in the coming weeks, the new Cultivate Impact Report brings together data, stories, and insights from past Cultivate sponsors and sponsees.
You’ll see how sponsorship transforms both careers and culture, and how intentional leadership delivers measurable results.
More than 80% of program participants reported stronger access to leadership opportunities by program end.
– 2025 Cultivate Impact Report
Stay tuned – the full report drops in just a few weeks.
Spotlight: Reflection That Moves You Forward
We asked Cultivate Alumni what “ending the year with intention” means to them.
“It made me pause and think about my legacy – what impact I’m leaving behind, not just what I’m achieving today.”
– SJ Group Sponsor, 2024
“I’ve become more deliberate about my choices. I’m saying yes with purpose – and no without guilt.”
– GHD Sponsee, 2024
“Reflection isn’t about slowing down. It’s how I stay focused, clear, and aligned.”
– Warra Alumni, 2024
These reflections capture the heart of sponsorship- sustained clarity, shared growth, and courage in action.
Case Study: Sponsorship That Sustains Leadership
Client: Laing O’Rourke
Every sponsee in the 2025 cohort reported feeling more confident about their future within the company, and 100% intend to stay for at least two years post-program.
“We created a career timeline that shaped deeper discussions around purpose and values.”
– Laing O’Rourke Sponsor, 2025
Client: SJ Group
“The visibility and advocacy from my sponsor made me feel seen – and that changed everything.”
– SJ Group Sponsee, 2024
The takeaway: retention isn’t driven by policy. It’s built through connection, clarity, and belonging.
This Month at Cultivate
Nov 17 – National Mentoring Day (UK)
Celebrating the mentors and sponsors who lift others as they climb.
Nov 19 – International Men’s Day / Movember
Exploring allyship, inclusion, and reflective leadership.
Nov 20 – SJ Group Graduation
Congratulations to our graduating cohort – leading with clarity and confidence.
Late November – WGEA Employers of Choice (Q3 Release)
Recognising organisations committed to sustainable equity and inclusion.
Quick Watch
- Inside the Cultivate Sponsorship Program with Richard & Paige (AECOM)
Richard and Paige share how Cultivate enhanced their collaboration and career growth. - Inside the Cultivate Sponsorship Program with Adam & Rachel (AECOM)
Adam and Rachel highlight the key outcomes and impact of their Cultivate journey. - WGEA Case Study: Laing O’Rourke on targeting and tracking promotions
See how Cultivate support LOR in advancing gender equality through targeted promotions.
Final Thought
Intentional endings create powerful beginnings.
As we close 2025, may your reflections turn into action, and your leadership into legacy.
Lead consciously. Sponsor boldly. Finish with intention.