When Paul Beare was named Member of the Year at the 2023 IR Global annual conference, it was the culmination of a journey that started ten years ago.
"I started my own firm almost ten years ago and have since grown it to a point where we are a team of nearly 40 people across a range of global territories, serving hundreds of clients, big and small. I've been able to do that in large part thanks to the help and support of the people around me who have served as mentors."
My mother and father were a strong part of my development of course – how you treat others, be kind – understanding, and professionally – look to take the strain from our clients and create solutions for them. I still apply this approach today.
Others around me, I refer to "my family" often when I refer to long-term members of IR Global. They are my peers but also my mentors in many aspects.
It's not surprising, then, that Paul has become an enthusiastic supporter of the IR Global Rising Stars programme, which aims to connect experienced professionals with those at the early stages of their careers to pass on experience and insight. The programme offers each Rising Star access to a wide network of successful and dedicated professionals, and, having done that, takes this one step further.
Face time
Through the programme, each mentee is given the opportunity to work on a one -to one basis with a mentor, giving them the chance to discuss and craft new ideas in a supportive environment which they can then use to positively impact their organisation.
"My experience with Paul Beare has been exactly this," says Adam Palmer, who has been working with Paul for six months.
Paul is highly approachable and has been extremely generous with his time and expertise. Under the mentorship of Paul, I have learnt to see things from a different perspective and his guidance has played a crucial role in advancing my career.
Adam Palmer.
"I've always had a passion for helping others," says Paul. "So it's nice to assist others whether younger, or older than me on their own career progression. I was touched when a managing partner at a firm commented to me that he had already seen such a positive improvement on our sessions; and since January that's probably around three hours spent over several sessions."
Spreading the word
Paul's attendance at the recent IR Global conference gave him the chance to catch up with another mentee. "As a member of the Rising Star Program at IR Global, I've had the privilege of being mentored by the incomparable Paul Beare," Haley Legg, Assurance Division Leader at CCK Strategies, posted after a productive meeting at the conference.
After several excellent sessions that have helped me grow as a member of IRG, a professional, leader and human, I finally got to spend some time with him in person in Boston.
Haley Legg, Assurance Division Leader at CCK Strategies
And of course, Paul has his own thoughts on the key attributes that help professionals make a success of their career. "The ability to think ahead is so important; it's the ability to think further beyond what is immediately in front of us and make decisions with an eye to long term value."
So far, Paul says some themes are already emerging in his work in the programme. "Through the mentoring programme, we are seeing a common theme among all mentees – thinking differently," he says. "The ability to think about a situation differently; from a different perspective is clearly a key priority. I think that when we begin to look at something in a different way, we naturally branch out into different areas which can lead to different outcomes. This of course naturally leads us to consider different angles."
With a leadership style that he describes as 'Very people driven', Paul is keen to pass on some life lessons to his mentees. "I try to instil a key lesson:when you find your passion, exploit it. That means understanding positive strengths and honing on those – it can be very useful in both business and personal life."
Passing on different approaches, or techniques to matters or situations is what it's all about. The mentoring programme has also been beneficial to me in branching new relationships and partnering with different individuals in other jurisdictions. And of course, allied to that, it's nice to recognise others and give praise and feedback to others.
Paul Beare
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