OM Exchange

OM Exchange is a business and professional mentoring program that runs each year from July through to March in the following year. This is a chance for leaders in their professional fields to share their experience and expertise with younger Old Melburnians.

By sharing the knowledge they have gained throughout their careers, Old Melburnian mentors provide invaluable support to mentees at a crucial point in their professional lives.

Ultimately, the goal is to improve the career and business development outcomes of the mentee. This can involve helping mentees to activate personal and professional networks, assisting with developing career strategies, introducing new skills, and identifying opportunities for career progression.

OM Exchange has been designed and created by Old Melburnian Council Member Charles Thompson (OM 1987). Charles will be supported to deliver this program by Carlo Santoro (OM 1987), entrepreneur, facilitator and coach.

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How does it work?

The program runs from July through to March each year.

Mentees should be seeking advice on building general personal, career or business skills and be 0-5 years into their careers.

Mentors can have a broad range of professional experiences that they would like to share with a younger Old Melburnian currently on a similar path.

You don’t have to be based in Melbourne to participate in this program.

Applications open in June each year, and in late July, you’ll be matched in a mentoring pair. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the matching, it is not always possible to match everyone who applies.

At the end of July, there is a launch workshop and networking event facilitated by Carlo and Charles. At the event you’ll meet your mentor partner, receive information about the program, and develop new skills that will help you get them most out of the program.

From the start of August, you can start meeting regularly in your mentoring pair. At your first meeting, you’ll be encouraged to set some goals, and plan out a structure for how and when you’ll meet up. Typically, mentors and mentees meet fortnightly or monthly depending on their schedules.

In November you’ll be invited to an online check-in session with Charles and Carlo which is an opportunity to talk about your experience being in the program and hear how others are going. From there, your regular meetings can continue, as you progress through your

In March, the program will wrap up with a networking event. At this point, you can review your progress, discuss how you’ll stay in contact going forward, take a short break, and think about applying again in June when applications open.

Time commitment

From end of July through to end of March you can expect a time commitment of 1-2 hours per month for your regular meetings. Additionally, there is a three-hour launch workshop, and a networking event at the end of March.

Supporting resources:

• A handbook outlining program structure, key dates and information
• Pre-prepared materials to help you structure meetings and maximise your time together.
• Mentoring Community LinkedIn group.
• Business directory and jobs board via OMlink

2025-2026 Program timeline

Thursday 19 June - Applications open

Sunday 20 July - Applications close

Thursday 24 July - Mentoring pairs announced

Monday 28 July - Program Launch Workshop

Tuesday 29 July - Online Launch Workshop (for those outside of Melbourne)

Monday 24 – Tuesday 25 November - Mid Program online check ins

Tuesday 24 March 2026 - Wrap up event and celebration

Find out more

Apply as a mentor or mentee.

To express interest in the program, email [email protected] or phone +61 3 9865 7682.