In his welcome speech, Stuart Johnson, general manager of Brown's and chairman of the Savoy Society mentoring Scheme, said: "The first year of our mentoring scheme has proved an even greater success than we hoped for. We now have a firm foundation for an initiative to support tomorrow's managers, and we expect it to grow from strength to strength." Petrina Johnson, a mentee from University College Birmingham, said: "Having won a place on this valuable mentoring scheme has already benefited me in many ways. Just having that guidance, advice and support gives me a lot of personal encouragement, making me want to aim higher in my career." Dee Smith, Springboard's touch point for the scheme, added: "Enabling career progression and development is a central focus of The Springboard Charity's work and The Savoy Society Mentoring Scheme complements our aims and ethos well. It's a privilege to work closely with such a prestigious industry organisation."