For our alumni, mentoring isn’t something they sign up for because it looks good on paper. For MBA mentors Alan Wood and Slawek Koronkiewicz, the value lies in connection, reflection, and the satisfaction of being useful to a fellow MBA participant at a pivotal moment.
1. Making a difference
Both Alan and Slawek describe mentoring as a chance to be genuinely helpful – without pressure.
Says Alan: “I honestly thought this would be a one-off at first. I thought, if I can share something about my job or my network, that could be useful.” Over time, that sense of usefulness became more tangible. “The more I did it, the more I realised I could actually offer.”
For Slawek, the motivation is rooted in empathy. “I understand the struggles that students can go through. I know what they’re facing, and I feel like I can support them.”
Both see their role as listening, guiding, and supporting – often at moments when that support matters most.
2. The quiet reward of seeing progress
The most rewarding moments often come without fanfare.
For Alan, one experience stands out. “This year was brilliant. My mentee landed a great job – ridiculously fast, actually. I played a small part in his journey”.
Slawek describes a quieter but equally powerful reward. “This gives me a lot of energy. I like meeting new people, new cultures, and being exposed to something surprising.”
In busy professional lives shaped by routine, mentoring offers something different: a sense of contribution that feels personal rather than performative.
3. Being reminded you’re still learning
Alan values exposure to new ways of thinking. “If I only surrounded myself with people my own age and just read the news, I’d miss a lot of ideas that are new or less obvious.”
Slawek highlights the new perspectives mentoring brings. “Each time, you learn something new – especially from a cultural point of view.”
These moments bring insight, and a reminder that curiosity doesn’t fade with experience.
4. Sharing experience without ego
For Alan, how mentoring is done matters as much as what is shared. “I try to make it very clear that this is about them, not about me.” Meetings are informal and shaped by the mentee’s needs. Sometimes they are frequent and focused; other times there is space between conversations. “It depends entirely on what they need at that moment.”
Slawek describes a similar approach. “Every mentee is different, so we make the process flexible and focus on them.”
For both, mentoring works best when it feels human and natural rather than transactional.
5. Recognising yourself in someone else
Mentoring often brings back memories of earlier career stages, including uncertainty, ambition, and difficult decisions.
Alan reflects: “I often forget what it was like for me 15 years ago. Mentoring is a nice way to appreciate and be grateful for what I’ve achieved.”
Slawek describes how mentoring reconnects him with moments of doubt and transition. “Job search can be a real struggle, for example, and there’s a lot of uncertainty during that process. I explain how to approach people, and how the Danish culture works in the business environment.”
That shared experience creates trust and allows conversations to move quickly beyond surface-level advice.
A shared experience
For both Alan and Slawek, mentoring isn’t about obligation or career advantage. It’s about staying connected – to people, to perspective, and to a community that has supported them in the same way.
