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Our Concept
Cross-Mentoring for Tomorrow’s Leaders
IWiL’s cross-mentoring program is a powerful platform for high-potential women on their path to leadership. It fosters exchange with experienced leaders across company boundaries, creating opportunities for new perspectives, mutual learning, and sustainable professional growth.
Through open and trusted dialogue, knowledge, experience, and leadership insights are shared—benefiting both professional and personal development. Discover how cross-mentoring can actively support women in advancing to leadership positions and unlocking their full potential.
We empower future women leaders on their journey to top leadership positions through mentoring, visibility, and access to a strong and influential network.
Our program combines individual cross-mentoring with events, peer exchange, and targeted development opportunities.
Selected mentees and committed mentors from business, academia, and society actively participate in and shape the program.
Together with the Executive Board, the Matching Committee selects the mentees for each cohort based on their potential, career trajectory, and personal motivation.
Our Goal
A Strong and Lasting Network for High-Potential Leaders
At IWiL, we connect high-potential leaders and their organizations with an exclusive, forward-looking network of influential voices from business, academia, and society. Our network creates a space for open exchange, meaningful dialogue, and new perspectives beyond the boundaries of the usual work environment.
Our mission is to prepare women leaders for the challenges of modern leadership, particularly in the context of digital transformation and the evolving nature of traditional business models.
At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to sustainable development, long-term growth, and lasting success—for both individuals and organizations.
How It Works
1
Empowering High-Potential Talent
We actively support high-potential women through cross-mentoring, networking opportunities, and tailored development initiatives—enabling sustainable career advancement and meaningful peer-to-peer exchange.
2
Nomination Process & Mentoring Kick Off
Mentees are nominated by our member companies. Following a selection process conducted by the Matching Committee and Executive Board, participants begin an intensive year of mentoring with the official Kick-Off event.
3
Tandem Matching
At the Kick-Off Event, mentees and mentors meet for the first time. The final mentor–mentee matching takes place in person and is intentionally conducted live to establish a strong foundation of trust for the year ahead.
Participants
Matching Committee
To further strengthen our selection process and respond to the continuous growth of IWiL, we established a dedicated Matching Committee. Its purpose is to further professionalize the nomination and selection of each IWiL cohort.
The committee consists of experienced HR leaders from our member companies as well as representatives of the IWiL Executive Board.
A special thank you to the members of the 2026 Matching Committee:
Dr. Thomas Johann (EJOT), Astrid Hundshagen (DKV), Anke Heppner (DOUGLAS), Barbara Thiel (thyssenkrupp), Ursula Porth (All for One), Christian Schmitz (Santander), Klaudia Wilde (WHU), Thorsten Ziemann (IKB) und Marketa Alesova (E.ON) – for their dedicated support and valuable expertise.
Dr. Thomas
Johann
Astrid
Hundshagen
Anke
Heppner
Barbara
Thiel
Ursula
Porth
Christian
Schmitz
Klaudia
Wilde
Thorsten
Ziemann
Marketa de Assis
Scheunemann
“The mentoring year at IWiL was an incredibly enriching experience for me. The open exchange on equal footing and the many valuable insights helped me grow both professionally and personally. The excellent organization and thoughtfully designed program formats made the experience truly special. I am delighted to remain part of the network and continue supporting our shared vision.”
Gundula Schäfer
Mentee 2025
“Supporting passionate, ambitious, and confident women? There is no better way than IWiL. Connecting with inspiring women, learning from one another, and developing your own skills through meaningful exchange with other exceptional women—that is what IWiL is all about.”
Daniela Weiß
Mentor
“Our collaboration reflects a shared commitment to creating a culture in which every woman has the opportunity to lead and inspire—and where women in leadership positions are the norm rather than the exception. For us, it is not only about supporting women in their professional development, but also about empowering them to break barriers, challenge expectations, and redefine success.”
Iris Prüfer
Corporate Member
“I strongly support IWiL’s approach of encouraging women to take on leadership roles through its thoughtfully designed mentoring program. This initiative goes beyond individual professional development—it also strengthens connections within a high-caliber, cross-industry network of leaders and decision-makers.”
Matthias Schellenberg
Advisory Board
Adresse
Grafenberger Allee 277-287
40237 Düsseldorf
Kontakt
+49 151 27 252 653
