Sponsorship that moves talent and culture

Most talent doesn’t lack capability. It lacks visibility. Cultivate Sponsorship Programs connect underrepresented and high-potential individuals with senior leaders who open doors, name names, and actively move careers forward.

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Four Benefits of Cultivate Sponsorship

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Real Advocacy, Not Just Advice

We simplify what matters so your people can focus, not flounder.

Internal Mobility Without the Politics

Everything we teach can be used the same day. Not next quarter.

Legacy for Today’s Leaders

Designed for your team’s challenges, roles, and future goals.

Diversity That Lasts

Workshops build unity through language and mindset, not just skills.

Who It's For

Cultivate Sponsorship is designed for organisations ready to grow leadership from within. We focus on high-potential women, culturally diverse talent, and those often overlooked in informal networks. This isn’t a workshop, it’s a system. We pair these sponsees with influential senior leaders who act as sponsors, guiding visibility, readiness, and momentum. Sponsors are supported, trained, and clear on their role. Sponsees are seen, matched intentionally, and guided with structure. It’s strategic leadership development that shifts careers, and changes culture from the inside out.

Why It Matters - What It Delivers

Sponsorship changes who gets seen, supported, and promoted. It solves the invisible barriers that stall diverse leadership growth. Cultivate’s model creates deliberate advocacy, guided learning, and measurable movement across leadership pipelines. Sponsors gain new insight and deepen their cultural impact. Sponsees gain belief, opportunity, and visibility they’ve earned, but often haven’t been given. The result is a culture where leadership is built through action, not assumptions.

What To Expect

Cultivate Sponsorship runs over 4–6 months with structured support. We guide pairing, provide mentoring tools, and measure impact through visible outcomes. Sponsors and sponsees meet regularly, track progress, and learn together.

Sponsor/sponsee matching based on shared goals and values
Session templates and learning prompts provided
Coaching and support for both parties
Midpoint pulse checks and integration tools
Final reporting aligned to visibility and mobility outcomes

WGEA Case Study

Laing O’Rourke on targeting and tracking promotions

We are proud to partner with Laing O’Rourke on their journey to gender equality. Learn more about how construction site employees at Laing O’Rourke are now twice as likely to have a female leader.

Building inclusive cultures where all talent thrives

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Client Results & Case Snapshots

Developing representation for women and under-represented employees

The Challenge

Women and underrepresented talent struggled to gain strategic influence and were overlooked for advancement.

The Approach

EY used Cultivate’s framework to guide sponsors toward advocacy roles beyond mentorship.

The Solution

Increased access to key meetings, stretch assignments, and visible performance opportunities for sponsees.

The Experience

Sponsees advanced into leadership roles more quickly and reported stronger relationships with senior leadership.

This program gave me more than growth—it gave me voice, visibility, and real opportunity.

EY Sponsee

Willow gave me the courage to go for a role I thought I’d never get.

Program Graduate

Four general manager roles filled internally. No external recruitment.

Government Department

Top 8 FAQs

How is sponsorship different from mentoring?
Mentors advise. Sponsors act. A sponsor uses their influence to advocate and create opportunity. The two are complementary but not the same.
Who should be sponsors?
Senior leaders with decision-making power and a genuine interest in growing others. We support and train sponsors throughout the process.
Who are the sponsees?
High-potential, underrepresented, or emerging leaders ready to step up but lacking internal visibility or networks.
How do you match pairs?
We use a structured intake and alignment process based on goals, values, leadership style, and organisational fit.
How long is the program?
Standard cycles are 6 months. We adapt based on cohort size, objectives, and organisational rhythm.
Is this only for women or cultural minorities?
Not exclusively, but our focus is on supporting those who face systemic visibility barriers. That often includes women, First Nations people, and diverse talent.
How is progress measured?
We track internal movement, sponsorship impact, feedback from both parties, and leadership pipeline outcomes.
What support do sponsors get?
Guides, prompts, peer check-ins, and access to Cultivate program leads throughout the journey.

Get All The Answers You Need

Let’s explore if your people, systems, and sponsors are ready for real internal mobility. Book a sponsorship planning session with a Cultivate Program Lead.

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