50 years’ collective experience mentoring for top-tier leadership

I have truly enjoyed working with several CMi Mentors across Europe and Asia over the last 12 years. Their experience has enabled me to evolve from a functional C-suite head into the global CEO of an MNC. They provided an invaluable sounding board and gave advisory support during the most essential times in my career. What you get from them isn’t written in leadership articles or books, but it is what I really needed during the most uncertain times. My immense gratitude goes to CMi and my mentors, as I am where I am today thanks to them

I worked with two very experienced mentors for a year before I became CEO. I sought their counsel and identified challenges privately and confidentially. I always knew the mentoring was beneficial, but it was only when I became CEO that I fully appreciated how invaluable the advice and guidance had been in preparing me for the new role. There are some things that you can learn only from people who have been there and done it.

There are very few places where a sitting CEO can speak openly, think clearly, and be truly challenged in total confidence. CMi mentoring creates that place – and it does so with a level of integrity, insight, and discretion that is unmatched. It is tailored directly to the realities of senior leadership – not in theory, but in practice. The mentoring is sharp, grounded, and consistently focused on what really matters. For me, it has been a critical source of clarity during moments of pressure, complexity, and change.

Transitioning from COO to CEO isn’t about more work or more decisions—it’s about owning the few outcomes that truly shape our company’s future. As COO, I was deeply involved in running APM Terminals but as CEO, it’s been the handful of high-stakes, high-ambiguity decisions that demand the greatest mental bandwidth. My CMi mentor has, with his rare combination of CEO experience, deep technical insight, and board experience, helped me reframe how I think and lead—balancing operational discipline with long-term strategic foresight. Our conversations, particularly around structural parallels between mining and port infrastructure, didn’t just offer perspective—they helped reshape APM Terminals’ strategic roadmap and priorities. His mentorship wasn’t abstract; it has changed how I think and work, and it directly contributed to accelerating our economic results.

My CMi mentor has been priceless – helping me navigate several complex issues with clarity and confidence. I’ve learned a great deal – not only through hearing about real-world business experience, but by testing and refining my own thinking in a space that is safe, insightful, and challenging in all the right ways. Above all, it has been an energising experience – one that has sharpened my thinking and approach.

Having worked with three different CMi mentors at different stages of my career I have particularly appreciated the care CMi has taken in ensuring the mentors background, style and personality match my needs and values. Sparring with someone who has been in my shoes and fully understands the issues and decisions I face every day is invaluable and unparalleled. It has been a practical and impactful experience.

The quality of the CMi mentoring conversations is unrivalled. The opportunity to exchange thoughts with people who have been there before is extremely valuable for me.

They say that history repeats, but throughout your career you are often faced with ‘firsts’. Having two very experienced mentors has been invaluable for me when navigating unknown terrain from significant unplanned management changes while undergoing a CEO selection process, and starting up as a CEO. The mentoring process has provided me with important perspectives and above all an inner calmness and clarity to do what I think is right.

Being able to discuss the challenges of a new major NED role with an independent mentor adds real value and focus. My CMi mentor gave me space to test and weigh ideas, the feedback was direct – based on years of experience and wisdom and tailored to situations. The CMi network is unique, extensive and international.

Few experiences truly prepare you for sitting in the CEO’s seat. CMi mentoring gives leaders the rare opportunity to step out of the noise and into a space of clarity, challenge, and reflection. The calibre of the mentors, the discretion of the process, and the sharp relevance to what global CEOs are facing today make this unique. I’ve found it to be a source of strength and insight, helping me lead with greater focus and conviction at pace and scale. If you’re looking for something ordinary, this is not it. CMi mentoring is different — and that’s exactly why it works.