“Each of our welcome mentoring sessions is a chance to make our department even more attractive.”

Carola Marx is Head of Investment Operations EMEA at DWS in Frankfurt. She has introduced a special form of mentoring within the COO area that can also be described as reverse mentoring. With this format, she invites all new joiners in the COO division to connect with one another, giving them a sense of welcome and orientation. At the same time, she gets to know the new employees and gains interesting insights, for example about useful tools or good networking events.

Carola Marx ist Head of Investment Operations EMEA bei der DWS in Frankfurt. Beim Fondsfrauen-Award 2025 wurde sie vielfach nominiert und als „außergewöhnliche Botschafterin und inspirierende Führungsfrau“ beschrieben. Schließlich gewann sie den Award „Role Model of the Year“. Heute unterhalten wir uns aber nicht über ihren Award, sondern es geht um eine spezielle Form des Mentorings, das sie in COO eingeführt hat.

Carola, you responded to our call in the last newsletter and told us that you are doing reverse mentoring. Tell us, who meets with whom?

Mentoring can be lived in many different ways, and that is exactly what makes it exciting. With our reverse mentoring format in the COO division, I invite all new joiners to introduce themselves to one another, to connect, and at the same time I try to create a sense of welcome and orientation. I want to understand the expectations our new colleagues bring with them. Every new perspective is enriching, whether someone comes straight from university or brings experience from other companies or departments. We use these expectations and positive experiences to develop new ideas and to keep our division interesting and future oriented.

So you are an actual group, not just a one to one format?

Korrekt! Je nachdem, wie viele Neuzugänge wir in den vergangenen 6 Monaten im Team hatten, sind das bei uns pro Veranstaltung 20-25 Personen. Dazu kommen dann noch ich und ein paar Kolleginnen und Kollegen, die mich unterstützen. Was es besonders interessant macht, ist, dass Menschen aus den unterschiedlichsten Leveln zusammenkommen. Das bietet allen die Möglichkeit direkt zum Start ein breites Netzwerk aufzubauen und sich über verschiedene Perspektiven auszutauschen.

How long does such a session last, and how often do they take place?

We hold this welcome mentoring twice a year, in July and January. I schedule the meeting in the evening, open end, so that we are not limited by time. Depending on the topics, it lasts about two to three hours. And if desired, we also arrange follow up meetings.

What do your new joiners take away from the meeting? What do they learn?

The most important thing is that the new colleagues network with many other new joiners. In addition, we give them a basic introduction. Colleagues from the COO division have created a great presentation and intranet page that explains all the important information for a new employee. Where do I find what? Whom can I contact? Where do I get help on which topic? This presentation and intranet page was created several years ago based on questions and suggestions that came up during reverse mentoring.

Hearing all of this, others may want to introduce it too…

Yes, and that is great. I no longer remember where I got the idea from, but I know I adopted it from someone else. I always say, steal with pride. Other departments and companies are welcome to imitate and adapt it.

What kinds of questions do your newcomers ask, and how do they react to your reverse mentoring meeting?

I have received very positive feedback. Most say that they have never experienced anything like this when starting at a new company and find it very helpful.

And the questions? Very diverse. From very tech related topics about workplace equipment or tools that can be used, all the way to what kind of networking opportunities exist. For the latter, we explain that there are various options, such as the women’s regulars table or JNET, our network for young employees. The colleagues feel supported through our mentoring and appreciate that they can also express any worries or challenges they face as newcomers.

In reverse mentoring everyone learns from everyone. What have you personally gained from these sessions?

On a personal level, I benefit enormously from getting to know all the new colleagues and expanding my network. I am also delighted with every new idea that we can implement. During the meeting, I explicitly ask how things are handled in other companies. Which tools did you use? Which networking events existed and were they good? What did you learn in your previous role? Often, the new joiners bring completely new ideas that we can adopt or adapt to our needs. For example, one colleague suggested that every new employee should be assigned a buddy, and we then proposed this idea to the entire COO division.

Our welcome presentation and intranet page with helpful facts also originated from reverse mentoring a few years ago.

One colleague once shared that at her previous company, there was a monthly event where everyone could connect and exchange ideas. We immediately agreed that she would set up something similar for us.ass sie auch bei uns so etwas auf die Beine stellt.

What is the outcome of such a reverse mentoring session?

Depending on what is discussed, the results vary. But usually there are different to dos, and everyone takes something on and drives it forward. At the last session, I wrote down a list of 15 ideas.

Preparing and running such a session takes effort. Why do you do it?

Preparation basically only involves inviting the employees. During the session, it is important not only to generate a large list of ideas, but also to encourage the new colleagues to work on them with me and to help create a better COO world.

I am convinced that we all spend more time at the office than with our partners at home, so we should constantly strive to create a positive and collaborative work environment where everyone feels comfortable. And yes, it requires a small investment of time, but it is definitely worth it.

Thank you very much for this great best practice example. Perhaps more Fondsfrauen will get in touch so that we can learn how mentoring is used elsewhere.

 

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