2012 NAFE WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE – MENTOR AWARD

Rosemarie Lanard – known as Rose – is known as a mentor maven at McGraw-Hill. She heads up the organization’s Employee Engagement and Diversity, responsible for global initiatives driving diversity, inclusion, leadership development, recognition, and employee engagement. But that defines only part of Rose’s leadership. “I mentor by nature,” she said recently, “and I’ve done it at every stage of my life.”

Mentoring, she explains, allows her to share her knowledge with others. But still another motivation underlies her commitment: “Mentoring opens up networking for those I’m working with, and it expands their lens on the organization.” For Rose, then, mentoring is not just about sharing advice and information; it’s also about increasing opportunities. That knowledge and experience she turned into the book that she co-authored called The Power of Mentoring.

Rose impressed NAFE when she helped create the company’s formal mentoring program, which is one of the most comprehensive we have seen. First she gathered best practices from other organizations. Then she began the first twelve-month program, including structured training, interviews and matching.

Integral to the process are specific goals for the year that are laid out by the mentee, and then the mentor commits to them. The pair meet for at least one hour per month, although she says that most meet more often. In addition, they communicate by email, in person, and by phone. Then there are the all-important check points, including one at two months and the in-depth six-month follow up. “The check-in is the key to success,” states Rose, “because that’s where we make sure they’re on track.”  

Rose’s mentoring also extends into the women’s network at McGraw-Hill, which is known WINS (Women’s Initiative for Networking and Success) and which is made up of many networks in different locations. She serves as the group’s vice president and on its Board of Directors, as well as the senior advisor to one of its largest networks.

Rose has co-chaired the annual WINS Leadership Conference. She joined Standard & Poor’s in 1997 as Director of Market Research and assumed her current role, created for her at S&P, in 2005. She’s also worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and was an analyst at a NYC market research consultancy. For years now, NAFE has watched Rose’s mentoring work at McGraw-Hill and we are delighted to honor her with the 2012 Mentor Award.