In our MentorHER Spotlight series, we're catching up with previous mentors and mentees to hear about their experiences, the connections they've made and the difference mentoring has made to their professional journeys. This time, we're hearing from Katie Pointon, Client Services Director at CTI Digital.
As we prepare for MentorHER Cohort 4, delivered through Manchester Digital's DigitalHER programme in partnership with Autotrader, applications are now open for women at the beginning of their digital and technology careers, alongside experienced women who would like to support the next generation of talent.
Applications close Sunday 8 November. Find out more and apply for MentorHER Cohort 4.
Name: Katie Pointon
Role: Mentor
Position at time of programme: Client Services Director
Mentee's position: Procurement, Public Sector (Home Office)
What were some of the highlights of the mentorship programme?
Having worked agency-side since I was 22, this was a brilliant opportunity to step outside my usual world and see how my role and experience translate beyond agency life. I'd like to think I'm already close to my clients in the public sector, but mentoring gave me a much more insider view the kind of behind-the-scenes perspective you don't often get access to.
I also came away having learned a huge amount about public sector tenders and procurement, which operates very differently to the tender processes we run on the agency side. It was fascinating to see that world through someone else's eyes.
What did you learn about yourself?
Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I'm a natural problem-solver. I like to get stuck into things and take on a lot at once, it's just how my brain works. So going into this programme, I made a conscious decision to leave expectations at the door. Instead of leading with my experience or jumping in with solutions, I let my mentee set the agenda, what they needed, when they needed it. I stopped, I listened, and I followed their lead, and it gave me a completely different perspective.
More often than not, my role wasn't to solve problems at all, it was to be a sounding board. Someone to listen, to talk things through, and to be a space for my mentee to think out loud about challenges they'd often already solved themselves. It was also genuinely refreshing for them to have someone completely impartial to talk to, outside their day-to-day and outside their usual circle.
Beyond the one-to-one relationship, I've really valued the network side of the programme too. Being part of this community has been one of the most rewarding parts of the whole experience.
Why would you recommend the programme?
I wanted to give something back to a community of women, and offer the kind of support I didn't have when I was starting out. I also saw it as a chance to learn more about myself as a mentor and identify where I could grow, it was something I'd always wanted to do but never quite prioritised because of how busy things get. This programme gave me the push to finally make space for it, and I'm so glad I did, it turned out to be exactly the experience I'd hoped for.
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Applications are now open
Applications for MentorHER Cohort 4 are open to both mentors and mentees until Sunday 8 November 2026.
Whether you're at the beginning of your digital or technology career and looking for guidance, or you're an experienced professional who would like to support the next generation of women in tech, MentorHER offers an opportunity to get involved.
