Building Confidence, Community, and Careers: Reflecting on the Impact of Mentorship

In this feature series, GBTA’s Board of Directors share their perspectives on topics that matter most to members, the industry and the way forward for business travel. Today’s guest author is Laura Choules, Senior Director Global Sales, EMEA, at Global Hotel Alliance. 

Mentorship — have you ever stopped to consider just how powerful this one word can be when we truly embrace it? As we kick off 2026, I wanted to share some thoughts on the power of mentorship and how it could support you in 2026 and beyond.

My first true experience with mentorship came through the GBTA Ladders program. It demonstrated the impact of group mentorship, providing a dedicated mentor to discuss ideas with, while also creating an environment where the entire group indirectly mentored one another.

Following that, the GBTA WINiT program highlighted the significant value of having a one-on-one mentor, complemented by a supportive community that offered an accessible network of industry contacts.

Both programs gave me the confidence to seek out my own industry mentor. The ongoing conversations, and having a reliable, friendly face to connect with at industry events, continue to provide me with confidence, knowledge, and strength in my daily role. You don’t need daily contact, but having someone you can rely on, trust, and turn to when needed is a truly valuable asset in a professional career.

Last year, I worked with our HR team to launch a mentorship program within our organization. Ensuring peers were matched with colleagues they don’t usually cross paths with on a day-to-day basis enabled meaningful conversations and allowed space to discuss topics outside of their immediate roles. It was great to hear feedback from colleagues about how beneficial they found the experience and how much they enjoyed connecting with someone new within the company.

As we move into 2026, mentorship continues to be on my radar — supporting the GBTA programs, developing new relationships, and helping others find strong mentorship connections.

If mentorship isn’t currently on your radar in your role or organization, I strongly encourage you to add it to your list for 2026 and embrace what mentorship has to offer.