In our Mentor and Mentee Features series, we highlight a mentor and mentee partnership from our LaunchMe program and learn why thy took part and what they gained from the process. This time we speak to Kitty Shropshire (Mentee) and Lucy Caruana-Johnson (Mentor) from our LaunchMe 2026 cohort.
Kitty Shropshire (Mentee)
Durham University Second Year
I’m a second-year undergraduate at Durham University studying Social Sciences with French. This year, I had the fantastic opportunity to intern at Nomura during their Spring Programme, and I’m now finalising plans for an internship at Partech Partners in Paris next year. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without the support of Lucy, my mentor, who has been generous with her time and sharing her guidance throughout both application processes. Her breadth of experience in finance, as well as her openness and genuine interest, has been invaluable to me. What has been most special about LaunchMe I’d say, is the sense of possibility that has come from this support. Mentorship has helped me see that there are many different paths within finance, and that it’s okay not to have everything mapped out yet. Not only this, but LaunchMe has strengthened my confidence both in terms of applications and in terms of the environments I have stepped into. I feel less like an “imposter” in these settings and now feel like I deserve to be there. Instead of feeling pressure to have all the answers, I have learned to ask better questions and thanks to 100 Women in Finance, I now feel I have a network of experienced women equipped to support me, this has been instrumental at this point in my career.
Why did you join LaunchMe and what has been your favourite part of the mentorship program?
My involvement with 100 Women in Finance has come full circle! I first volunteered at the London Gala, and then had the opportunity to be the LaunchMe intern where I saw firsthand the care and effort that goes into building such meaningful mentorship connections. Now, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how much of a positive impact this programme has, as both a mentee, and also a Mentee Committee member. We’ve all been working hard together to make the programme the best it can be for everyone involved. My mentorship with Lucy has been the real highlight so far. We clicked from the very start, with our shared interests and values, we both speak with honesty, making our conversations feel natural rather than transactional. Whether catching up on Teams or meeting in person in London, there has always been such openness, and I feel so grateful to have been matched with her!
What’s one goal where you’ve seen the most impact and what have you learned from your mentor?
One of the key takeaways from this mentorship has been gaining a much clearer picture of what professional life actually looks like in practice, I’d say this falls under ‘business acumen’. Things like communicating effectively over email with the right tone, being efficient, navigating AI in the workplace, and learning how to carry yourself in a professional environment are not things you necessarily learn in a lecture at university, but they make a real difference once you start internships and enter the world of work. So much of this knowledge is passed down through experience, and having the chance to hear Lucy’s advice has been so helpful; I feel I have a real head start because of it. Our conversations cover everything from confidence to technicals, and I’ve come to appreciate just how important it is to develop softer skills alongside the hard ones. I’ve learned that personal and professional development are not separate; they really are part of the same conversation.
Lucy really cares, and I feel lucky to have felt this throughout our mentorship relationship. We bonded early over running, yoga and music, which meant things never felt too formal; we could just talk openly from the start. Her advice has ranged from fashion advice re where to shop for appropriate workwear before my internship, to more nuanced conversations about how to carry yourself with confidence around more senior people, even when you don’t fully feel it or have moments of self-doubt. She’s also helped me manage my time, for example, staying on top of the news: focusing on small, consistent habits rather than trying to absorb everything at once, and saving FT briefings for a morning coffee or while getting ready, rather than a long run where we both prefer running to music than the news! No question has ever felt too silly to ask. She is also generous with her network; if something wasn’t within her area of expertise, she offers to connect me to exactly the right person, even before I’d even thought to ask. She’s helped me become much more intentional about what I say yes to, sharing that she navigated the same challenge earlier in her career. She has a way of making me feel both supported and capable at the same time. I hope one day I can pay that forward as a mentor myself.
Lucy Caruana-Johnson (Mentor)
Vice President, Client Transitions at Wellington Management
My role touches most, if not all, areas of the business, and allows me to focus on strong outcomes for both our clients and the firm, particularly in areas of high complexity. Each new client requires exceptional project management skills, and I love problem solving and delivering solutions made possible through having built strong relationships firmwide.
What drew you to mentor in LaunchMe and what’s been rewarding about the experience?
Since I started in Finance 13 years ago, I have always wanted to mentor those early in their career journey. I choose to mentor in a different way to most, I believe, as I like to focus a great deal of time on role to personality fit, rather than solely focusing on roles. I encourage my mentees to think more broadly around the role/firm they are applying to, thus encouraging them to think a little outside the box. I also ensure I am available to coach them in all areas, from confidence, to work-life balance, to CVs. My mentee has been outstanding: she deserves every success and it has been a pleasure to be a part of her early career journey.
How has the relationship inspired or influenced you and what is one thing you’ve learned from your mentee.
She reminds me of myself 13 years ago! So it’s been wonderful to pay forward the advice I received at that stage, and tailor my Finance knowledge both to her and to the area(s) she is interested in applying to. She’s also showed me that I can help beyond just the career specific areas: through offering work/life balance advice/a sounding board and giving insights into both the earlier stage experience and how that differs from where I am now at mid-stage.
Any tips or encouragement for those entering the industry?
Don’t be afraid to be different! And to ignore your peers who try to intimidate you. If you are confident, personable and committed, you will go further than you think.