Winning Mentorships

Congratulations to the Mentor of the Year!

We are excited to announce the winners of the Mentor of the Year contest...

Mike Lutz of Toyota Motors was selected as this year's Mentor of the Year. Mike has been with Toyota for 18 years and is the General Manager of Human Resources, responsible for talent acquisition, business planning, corporate relocation services, HRIS and payroll. Along with a full plate of regular job duties, Mike still manages to make time for several mentees to help them grow in their career paths. Here's what one of his mentee's said about him:

Mike is a shining example of the definition of Mentor. He is truly a "wise and trusted counselor". He has mastered the fine art of being successful in his career at Toyota, yet still maintains his jovial personality and passion for people. Being new to the organization, I experienced some early challenges with the culture change from American corporations focus on individual achievement and accountability to the Japanese culture of collaborative work and continuous improvement that are staples within Toyota. Mike Lutz, being the General Manager of Human Resources, has a very demanding schedule and long list of responsibilities yet he agreed to help me with my transition. He is absolutely amazing!

---

Honorable Mentions

Three honorable mentions were also chosen for special recognition from more than 115 nominees out of a pool of more than 5,000 mentors.

The Honorable Mention winners are James Morton of Xerox Canada, John Blair of ConAgra Foods, and Susie Saltzman of the Jones Group.

James' mentee described him as:

"Through his knowledge and leadership he has given me the confidence to believe in myself because he believes in me. He has made a positive impact on my life and truly wants to make a difference in the working life of all those around him."

When asked about John, his mentee said:

"Being a female minority engineer, I always felt very isolated in the male dominated field of engineering, until he became my mentor. John not only guides me technically, but also helps me in overcoming cultural and gender barriers in conducting business in corporate America. His mentoring made me a more confident and productive member of the team, and helped me grow professionally."

And here's what Susie's mentee had to say about her:

"I have no doubt that working with a mentor gave me the push I needed to showcase my professional determination and ability to thrive in this new position. Learning about her standards for perfection, leadership skills, and management philosophies, leave a lasting impression that I know will continue to inspire anyone lucky enough to benefit from her talents."

Congratulations to Mike, James, John and Susie! They each exemplify outstanding mentoring skills and attributes and service to their organizations.

Mentor Scout would also like to thank all of the mentees who took the time to recognize their mentors by sending in their nominations. Each one of you and your mentors are winners in your own careers and life development!

From all of us at Mentor Scout, we extend our warmest aloha to all the mentors and mentees participating in their company or association mentoring program.