Santander Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme (WBL) 2026 opens for applications from Jersey and the Isle of Man
Santander International is inviting female founders and business owners in Jersey and the Isle of Man to take part in the popular annual mentoring programme running from April through to November.
Since its launch in 2019, the Santander Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme (WBL) has supported nearly 1200 female entrepreneurs and business owners across the UK and Crown Dependencies, developing leadership skills at all stages of their business journey.
The Programme is in partnership with Moving Ahead, a specialist award-winning mentoring and development organisation which connect mentees to experienced business owners, or leaders with corporate experience, for 1:1 sessions alongside virtual masterclasses from inspirational role models and speakers.
Kirsty Lamond, Head of Retail Banking, Santander International, said: “This is the eighth year of the Santander Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme. Last year we joined forces with Maria O'Regan and our colleagues in the UK to promote the programme locally, and this year we are looking to attract 100 new mentees from across the UK, Jersey, and the Isle of Man. These include female founders, business owners, or majority shareholders, who have been trading for a minimum 18 months. The mentoring sessions take place remotely, so mentors and mentees are matched by need and experience rather than location, which tends to offer some great pairings.”
For Rosie Whooley, Founder and Director of Renova Agency an influencer marketing and management agency, the opportunity to connect with inspiring female leaders in her sphere, beyond Jersey, was a big draw.
“My mentor, Carole, was incredibly supportive and inspiring. She was there to help guide me the entire year and, later, provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to launch my own agency. Without her, the journey to starting my business would have been much longer and nowhere near as professional. It has been great to know Carole is always there to provide advice and chat things through, no matter what the scenario.
“During the Programme I learnt how resilient I can be, and my self-belief greatly improved. My confidence, specifically with skills in pitching and networking, has improved the most, to a point now where I'm confident to go out to gain new business, something that I wasn't before. With my mentor's help, I am now also very active on LinkedIn and use it frequently for networking and building connections.
“Thanks to WBL I developed the belief, skills and knowledge to set up my own business, which just a year before would not have been possible. My business started very successfully, gaining three clients within the first few weeks.”
Ruth Cooil, founder of Ruth Cooil Physiotherapy, a physiotherapy and healthcare services practice, in the Isle of Man, took part in the Programme last year. She said: “When Santander contacted me, I first wondered what in the world I was doing. I’m not an entrepreneur! I just wanted guidance, but it felt like an amazing opportunity to get such support for free.
“The most valuable part was having a mentor who I spoke to once a month. There were also fantastic interactive zoom training sessions. You get out what you put in and if you don't engage then it's your loss. My mentor was amazing. He listened, challenged, praised and reassured me. My work has changed massively because of mentoring. I now have a good business plan and recognise I don't need to do everything myself and have taken on staff. Furthermore, I have a clear direction in how to develop the business, and how to future proof it.”
Santander also provides ‘Beyond Mentoring’ support which includes virtual sessions addressing challenges businesses face including finance, marketing, digital, and sustainability. Participants join an established peer-to-peer network, building a community to collaborate and exchange ideas, and get free access to the Santander Open Academy Platform, a global learning initiative, providing hundreds of courses on everything from AI to leadership to sustainability.
Kirsty added: “Our priority is to our customer base, but the Programme is also open to businesses willing to be a customer, subject to meeting WBL criteria. We are also inviting experienced business owners or leaders with corporate experience as mentors to apply. Male or female applicants are welcome, but they must have knowledge of small to medium size businesses.”
Ceri Tinley, Co-founder and Managing Director of Consensio Chalets, a luxury chalet operator in the French Alps, has taken part in WBL for two years, first as a mentee, and latterly as a mentor.
“I feel that this programme is valuable for both mentees and mentors. It is very well structured, and the value received from the training throughout is exceptional. Two of my three mentees massively restructured and streamlined their businesses over the nine months; they managed to really focus on their ‘why’ and adjust their offering to be specific and aligned with their core values which allowed them to push their businesses forward.”
For anyone thinking of applying, Ruth has a few words of advice: “Don’t be put off by the word entrepreneur like I nearly was. You don't realise how much you can learn from the lectures and other people on the course. The mentors are a great independent sounding block who are impartial. They say what needs to be said and challenge you, possibly something a partner or close relative can't do.”
The WBL Programme is open for applications from Monday 2 February to 9th March. To apply see Santander X or scan the QR code for details.