From Olympic Pool to the Boardroom - IWF and EY Mentoring Program

Entrepreneur and community leader Aleksandra Efimova is a 2018 mentor for the EY Women Athletes Business Network (WABN) Mentoring Program, an initiative of the Leadership Foundation of the International Women’s Forum in partnership with Ernst & Young. International Women’s Forum (IWF) is an invitation-only organization with over 6,000 members from 33 nations.

The WABN Mentoring Program connects elite women athletes with business leaders such as Ms. Efimova, an active member of IWF. Each year, up to 25 athletes, including many Olympic medalists, are paired with IWF mentors.

Ms. Efimova was paired with Kim Vandenberg, an Olympic medalist in swimming, with whom she has conferred throughout the year via in-person and online meetings and frequent conversations.

“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to mentor such an amazing athlete and individual, as she develops and refines her transition from sports to further endeavors,” Ms. Efimova says. “Kim is a strong, passionate and dedicated person with wonderful potential for making a positive impact on the world.”

Ms. Efimova was able to share perspective and insights gained from two decades of leading her company, RP Group International, education including the Owner/Management Program of Harvard Business School, and many years of local and international community leadership.

Ms. Efimova notes that sports and business have a lot in common. “You have to envision yourself at the finish line, backtrack to set intermediate goals and daily goals, and then work on them consistently,” she says. “Unless you get in that pool or on that bike, you will not succeed in your long-term goals. In business, we pursue our long-term vision by sitting down every day to strategize and take action on shorter-term goals. It all starts with ‘where do we want to be on December 31?’ and only consistent commitment and action will get us there. And, as both athletes and entrepreneurs, we need to stay flexible, resilient and open to change.”

Mentor and mentee found more common ground in their interests in the arts, nature, meditation and yoga – and in mentoring others (Ms. Vandenberg mentors aspiring athletes, though organizations including Up2Us, Kids Play International and Rise Elite Athletes).

Ms. Efimova hopes to stay in touch with her mentee after the mentorship year ends, and to take part in the program again in the future. This month, she will speak about the WABN Mentoring Program at the IWF World Leadership Conference, on October 24-26 in Miami, Florida.