In a rapidly evolving insurance landscape, mentorship can guide careers, but sponsorship moves them.
This distinction is the crux of a recent Insurance Business webinar, “Sponsorship vs. Mentorship: Moving from Advice to Advocacy,” in which five industry leaders explored how professionals, especially women, can turn relationships into catalysts for visibility, opportunity, and advancement.
Moderator Joyce Duarte, SVP at Allied World Insurance, framed the conversation by drawing a bright line between the two concepts. She said while mentorship and sponsorship both matter, they are not interchangeable.
“Mentors help you reflect, grow, and improve,” Duarte said. “A sponsor, on the other hand, uses their influence and political capital to actively advance someone’s career.”
For Amy Mattle, North America Retail & Distribution Division Leader at WTW, mentorship looks very different today than it did early in her career. Now, 25 years in, she views it through the lens of legacy.
“It’s less about my ambitions… and more about mentoring people in the next generation,” Mattle said. However, she is quick to note that even late-career professionals should remain open to learning, including through reverse mentorship that brings fresh perspectives, technologies, and ways of thinking.
Middle-career leaders, like HUB International’s Courtney Davis, often straddle both sides of the equation. She shared that her own journey has transitioned from mentee-heavy to mentor-heavy, and increasingly toward sponsorship.
“I’m learning from everyone,” Davis said, adding that sponsorship requires “more intentional acts” and the courage to advocate for someone in rooms they aren’t yet in.
She recalled a defining moment during the early days of COVID-19, when an executive vice president saw beyond her traditional insurance role, reshaping her career path. “She was advocating for me in a different room and helping to elevate and advance my growth,” Davis shared.
Elizabeth Mertel, AVP at Crum & Forster Insurance Brokers, described how one of her most transformative experiences came through a formal international mentorship program.
Working cross-culturally with a mentee in China helped Mertel understand new management styles, communication norms, and market dynamics. The relationship created shared growth, reinforcing her belief that “insurance is the same everywhere… but the perspectives we bring can change everything.”
While the industry has made progress, the speakers agreed that women still face a sponsorship gap.
“Women are maybe over-mentored and under-sponsored,” Mattle observed, noting that women often wait until they feel 100% ready before pursuing advancement, while men typically act sooner. Sponsorship, she emphasized, helps women gain visibility, expand their skills, and build confidence.
Intact Insurance’s Erin Kelly added that mentorship and sponsorship are two halves of a whole. She illustrated the point with an example from her team: after learning that an employee was interested in product development, Kelly strategically connected her with projects and stakeholders to help her build credibility long before a role became available.
For many professionals, the challenge isn’t understanding mentorship or sponsorship; it’s knowing how to initiate the relationship. The speakers agreed that a simple message after a meeting or presentation can spark a meaningful connection. “Lead with your passion,” Kelly advised.
Davis encouraged professionals to take small, specific steps: reach out on LinkedIn, request 20 minutes, and come prepared. “People think mentors always need to provide the answers,” she said. “In reality, the activity is often driven by the person making the request.”
As the discussion closed, the speakers returned to a common theme: the courage to ask.
“Closed mouths don’t get fed,” Davis said, urging attendees to advocate for their own goals and needs. Kelly encouraged professionals to push past discomfort, noting that many senior leaders are eager to support emerging talent.
Mertel emphasized the importance of honest self-reflection, which includes doing the inner work that allows sponsorship to take root.
The final challenge came from Duarte: “I encourage you to identify one area where you need sponsorship and one area where you need mentorship. Identify one relationship in each of those areas that you can cultivate, and take one action in each area to find a mentor and a sponsor,” she said. “You won’t regret it.”
Learn more about the Women in Insurance Mentoring Network and watch the webinar replay here.
