“What could mentoring do for you?”

Abstract

A successful Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) panel discussion on mentoring has been organised at the 4th IMA and OR Society Conference on Mathematics of Operational Research. The panel aimed to raise awareness of the importance of mentoring in academia and industry, particularly for underrepresented groups, and featured a diverse set of distinguished panellists. The discussion emphasised the need for a mentoring culture in the OR, Analytics, and Maths professions, with a "speed-dating" networking session offering practical mentoring opportunities and receiving a positive reception, reinforcing the value of mentorship in these fields.