At 40u40, the goal is to “pass the torch to the next generation of societal leaders”: to spur the leadership growth of young professionals and help them amplify their societal impact! One way to do so is through the intergenerational exchanges that Mentorship offers: a powerful and personal dialogue between seasoned leaders, known as 40u40 Supporters, and emerging changemakers, the Fellows. We invited three Mentorship pairs, Julie Lescut and Alexandra Boogers (Cohort 2021 Autumn), Bruno Colmant and Adélaïde Charlier (Cohort 2023) and Koen Bouckaert and Sebastiaan Vermeersch (Cohort 2024) to reflect on their journeys: the conversations that sparked real action, the lessons they discovered along the way and advice they would give new Fellows and Supporters who are just starting their Mentorship journeys.
“When I drive to our meetups, I think about what I would like to discuss. In the early years, we talked a lot about motherhood, work, and everyday life. Now, we talk a lot more about priorities, what we want out of life, what truly drives us,” Alexandra shares. Meeting every three months, their relationship has grown and evolved. Today, they are still Mentor and Mentee, but also good friends. “Whenever I drive home after seeing Julie, I find myself thinking how great the conversation was once again. Julie is extremely driven, she has so much joy and passion, it is contagious. After talking to her, I feel energised!”
To match Mentors and Mentees, the Fellows are asked to share their preferences and reasons for them with 40u40. “I only knew Bruno by name, through his books, his writing. I put him as one of my favourites because I think he has a very interesting life with lots of changes I wanted to learn from. Another reason was that he is an economic expert. I have never studied economics, but I wanted to fill that knowledge gap,” Cohort 2023 Alumna Adélaïde explains.
What followed was a relationship rich in learning, personal growth, and mutual understanding. Adélaïde and Bruno would meet for lunch, coffee, or a walk, and they would talk about everything. “Bruno did not see Mentorship as him teaching me life. The dynamics were equal. We had amazing talks where I wanted to learn from him, but he also wanted to learn from me,” Adélaïde shares. She appreciates how personal the conversations were: “We did not just talk about economics. We talked about how we are going to solve world problems, what should we do next, how do we do this? But we also talked about the personal effect of doing this.” Their conversations are still ongoing today, as Bruno and Adélaïde still meet up after the program ended. He supports her projects, is a knowledge source for Adélaïde, and “having him as a friend, and knowing I can count on him, is huge!”
Sebastiaan is a Fellow of Cohort 2024. He is currently participating in the program and met his Mentor, Koen, six months ago: “My Mentorship experience with Koen just started in September, and it has been going great! We connected well from the very beginning.” The Mentorship pair meets once a month, either grabbing a bite or coffee together, going for a walk, or meeting at Koen’s place. Sebastiaan usually prepares for the meetings by thinking in advance about what he wants to talk about.
However, the conversations can go in all directions: “In the beginning, we talked about impact and purpose, then also about work and team management, for example. But no topic is off-limits, and we have ended up talking about religion and art even,” Sebastiaan says.
He keeps a notebook where he writes down quotes from Koen, thoughts they have shared, and lessons Sebastiaan deems helpful. “I try to use his advice in my life. One quote he shared with me was ‘Every complaint holds an unmet need. Listen – really listen – to discover the unspoken request.’ This really stuck with me, and I try to remember it when I’m dealing with conflict.” He appreciates how “it is a relationship of trust and open communication where everything can be said, discussed, and questioned,” and he is looking forward to seeing where the rest of the journey will take them.
We sat down with these three pairs to explore what Mentorship truly means in practice, to reflect on their experiences and the lessons that stayed with them.
Alexandra Boogers: Julie is a leader I truly admire. As an aspiring leader, I ask her questions about her journey to learn from her experience. One powerful lesson I took from her is the importance of empowering your team, by asking them, ‘Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve?’ Coming from a very traditional sector like healthcare, where thinking outside the box is not always encouraged, her fresh, innovative perspective really inspired me and taught me to think differently as well.
Koen Bouckaert: As we go through the process of Mentorship, it is a two-way street, whatever topic we discuss, it triggers a self-reflection for the Mentor too. You put a universal topic on the table you went through yourself, you reflect on it in a new way not done before. It is a time to pause, to share with another person. Whatever you and your Mentee talk about, it is relevant for the young person, but even more relevant for you. It is a time of sharing that triggers deep self-reflections, next to the pleasure of spending time together.
Sebastiaan Vermeersch: Koen’s advice comes from someone with a different life experience, and it adds real value to our discussions. There is a certain wisdom that comes from having lived through situations I am only now beginning to encounter. While I am still at the start of my journey, facing many first-time challenges, he has been navigating them for years. He understands how the system works and knows what truly matters in life. With his experience, he helps me see what is important, and what is just noise. And he does this in a humble way, by taking time to listen, to ask questions, and to genuinely understand. He does not impose his views; instead, he supports me by sharing a different perspective, staying curious, and being truly engaged.
Bruno Colmant: As a Mentor to Adélaïde Charlier, one of the most inspiring figures of her generation, I had the privilege of bridging a 40-year age gap through a profound intellectual partnership. Listening to her sharpened my perspective on the urgency of climate activism and the power of youth-driven change. Her innovative ideas challenged me to rethink entrenched approaches, fostering my own adaptability. This Mentorship taught me the value of mutual learning, where wisdom flows both ways. It was a humbling reminder that passion and purpose transcend generations.
Adélaïde Charlier: One outcome from our relationship was an article we wrote together about defence and climate. It was an idea coming from our conversations, from a moment when we got afraid of the current situation. We talked a lot about defence and we thought, how are we going to make sure that all the other crises are not forgotten? What is the real problem? So, we just rolled out our reflection and decided to publish it. However, the best outcome of the Mentorship is our continuous relationship. We still meet up, he supports my organisation and I am learning from him to this day! For example, I am learning from him about the economic aspect of things, which is something that was missing from my activism and vision before.
Koen Bouckaert: Some examples of actions taken were the book recommendations Sebastiaan and I share. We read them, we discuss them and it gives an invitation to discover something important to the other person, to discover something about them. Another real world action sparked by a conversation in the Mentorship was a relationship that positively changed thanks to my Mentee. Once my Mentee and I realised we both knew the same person, the Mentorship prompted me to have a conversation with this person I had not had before. We shared more, we revealed more of ourselves, it deepened the relationship.
Adélaïde Charlier: What helps in building that relationship is being 100% yourself with your Mentor. This means not just being there in the hope to grab as much information as you can, but to share how the two of you feel. For Bruno and me, this allowed a very personal and professional conversation at the same time. Leave space for building a deeper connection, it will make the conversations more sincere and stronger, allowing them to become real-life advice. Bruno is not just a 40u40 Mentor, but a life Mentor, and this sentiment is shared by many in the 40u40 Community! It is not just about one year; it is about something bigger! Be real and you will see how much you can learn from someone since we all share the same doubts, we just do not dare to say it. Being able to share with someone makes this experience go beyond the professional!
Sebastiaan Vermeersch: The Mentorship experience is a dive into the unexpected. I never expected it to be so personal, so deep and so helpful in many ways! But it is what you make of it, the conversations you bring. One piece of advice I have is to come prepared, think about what you want to discuss, what you would like to take away from the Mentorship experience, but then, allow it to unfold into all directions. To be spontaneous in the moment, and end up wherever it takes you.
Julie Lescut: My advice is to be open to new perspectives and to make sure you have time! As a Mentor, you can be the Mentee’s sounding board, share your network, and advise them by tapping into your knowledge. It is a great experience, but it also requires you to be present! I also recommend always being open to new kinds of Mentees. It is the reason why I do it on a yearly basis, all my Mentees had different profiles and challenges, and I like this diversity! I discover fresh perspectives. For example, this year, my Mentee is an entrepreneur, scaling up his company. We share similarities but also differences, and I enjoy getting to know these new worlds.
