Advance — The mentoring programme designed by women in transport for women in transport
Our Advance mentoring programme is structured to address the needs of professional women in transport seeking to develop and progress their career.
The programme has supported more than 300 mentees and mentors to date. It is designed by Sonya Byers, our Chief Executive, and Angela Gainsford, a longstanding member of Women in Transport. This year, it will be delivered by Angela Gainsford and Steve Griffiths, our Events & Professional Development Lead.
The Advance 2025 application window has now closed.
We are currently seeking sponsors for our 2026 Advance programme. Please contact us if you are interested in taking part.
On this page:
What our alumni say
Our Advance team
Our sponsors
Mentoring advice & guidance
Latest news & insights
Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. It is a reciprocal partnership between two people, normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences, based upon mutual trust and respect.
Mentoring allows the mentee to explore new ideas in a safe environment. It is an opportunity for learning and development for both the mentee and mentor. The process is about developing greater self-awareness and taking responsibility for the direction of your career.
What our alumni say
“I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from the Women in Transport Advance mentoring scheme. My mentor was absolutely wonderful and I was surprised by how well matched we were. It was really useful to have the chance to be talk with someone external, who you could be completely honest with and receive critical feedback, as well as having them be your monthly cheerleader. The opportunity to connect and network with other mentees was also extremely valuable and it was comforting to speak with other women in the field who feel a similar way and have comparable experiences.
For anyone debating on whether to sign up I would say, absolutely go for it!”
“My objective at the beginning of the programme was to answer quite a broad question: How do I progress my career? The Advance mentoring programme has 100% helped with this process.
Feeling stuck in a rut with my business and not feeling like I was achieving at the level I wanted to, I knew I needed to move on and progress and change things in my career but I didn’t know where to start. Talking it through with my mentor in the first few sessions really boosted my confidence, it felt amazing and validating to have someone who is incredibly successful in her own career in the Transport Industry, invest her time, energy, enthusiasm and expertise in helping me!
The pairing of my mentor was also ‘spot on’ and Nina is a fellow founder and entrepreneur and although in a different sector in transport she had a deep understanding of what I was going through and incredibly constructive, useful advice. The mentoring programme opened up a process that I don’t think I could have gone on alone to discover exactly where I wanted to go with my career. Nina introduced me to ideas and ways of thinking that I would never have discovered on my own. She has helped me make decisions, stick to decisions and change decisions when necessary. And also helped me stay positive and deal with the ups and down and stress of trying to change and shift my career.
I am now, almost a year on from applying, in a much better position and whilst my future career is not mapped out in front of me, I have found a direction and opportunities I dreamed of are now coming to me. It has given me confidence to think big and go for things in a way I was holding back from before the mentoring. I have also been incredibly inspired by the way my mentor operates, she is inspirational and the way she runs her business with personality and vibrant energy and passion. This has been a hugely positive influence on me and something I will take with me to shape my future career and business.”
Programme designers
“I am a longtime member and enthusiastic supporter of Women in Transport. I am thrilled to have been able to create, in collaboration with Sonya, the Advance mentoring programme for our members.”
“I am Chief Executive of Women in Transport and have been a member since 2008. The response to Advance has been phenomenal from mentees, mentors and across industry. It has become a flagship programme and I am incredibly proud to be actively supporting the professional development of our members.”
Engagement leads
Our sponsors
Our annual Advance mentoring programme has been made possible by the invaluable support of our corporate partners. It is thanks to their generosity that the programme remains accessible for all members of Women in Transport. A special thanks to TXM Group and Xanta for their continued and sustained support since the pilot programme.
WISTA UK (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) is an international networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level, in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors.
TXM Group is a global organisation providing resourcing and consultancy solutions worldwide, specialising in Engineering, Healthcare, and Technology. Formed by Engineers, TXM Group works closely with leading industry clients to source and place the highest quality talent, as well as offer data-driven strategic development services led by a team of experienced project leaders.
Xanta is a rail engineering management consultancy specialising in rail and other guided systems, providing all aspects of rail technical management and delivery, engineering services, strategic organisational support and interim staff. Xanta has extensive experience with tram, light rail, metro, mainline and freight railways in the UK and abroad, and proven success at delivering projects, technical reports and investigations, bringing together consultant teams with the right skills and experience. Xanta assists its clients in getting the best out of transport assets and systems, improving performance and results, is on both the TfL Rail Engineering PSFW and the DfT STAR Two Frameworks.
Network for Skills is a small consultancy that provides services in the people and behaviour space. We believe that getting this “people bit” right is a key enabler for an organisation’s success and that it requires real focus. We provide executive mentoring and coaching for individual leaders and teams. We support organisations with team development and performance, diversity & inclusion and change & engagement. We work across both the private and public sectors with organisations of all sizes, directly or in partnership with others. We are suppliers to Transport for London, Train Operating Companies and National Rail; and outside transport, to companies in the education, logistics, pharma, and consultancy sectors. We are proud to be a member of Women in Transport, and to be associated with both the Advance and Lead programmes.
Camilleri Appointments is run by the Owner and Managing Director Karen Camilleri. The business specialises in senior level interim and permanent places across a range of sectors with a specialism across all modes of transport. Set up in 2019 they are growing rapidly in their reputation and reach. Delivering a positive experience to all users of the service is at the heart of their work.
Momentum Transport Consultancy is a leading integrated, people-first transport consultancy. The company creates transport strategies and solutions that inform, integrate with and are integral to, every aspect of the built environment today and for the future. The company’s three core areas of specialism are planning, insight & analytics and engineering.
ALBUM is the Association of Local Bus Company Managers and exists to provide a forum to exchange best practice among its members and to influence policy, for the promotion of high quality services that encourage more people to travel by bus.
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries to the west coast of Scotland, serving ports on the mainland and 22 of the major islands.
DFDS is an international shipping and logistics company.
Mentoring guidance & advice
Find out more about Advance including alumni sharing their experiences and our tips for applying.
Information session with mentors and mentees about what you can gain from mentoring through the Advance programme.
A conversation with Gary Lincoln, TXM Group, Group Director sharing why supporting Women in Transport matters.
Advance 2020 alumni share their advice for making the most of your mentoring relationship.
Workshop delivered to TfL’s Women's Staff Network Group in 2019.
Latest Advance news & insights
