Mentor of The Year 2025

Meet the ITP’s 2025 Mentor of the Year! – Rich Holding

We caught up with Rich, Technical Director at Swann Engineering Groupto learn more about his journey, his approach to mentoring, and what this well-deserved recognition means to him.

From supporting apprentices and graduates to guiding engineers toward professional accreditation, Rich’s passion for developing others truly embodies the spirit of mentorship that drives our industry forward.

In this exclusive interview, Rich shares insights on what makes effective mentoring, how to tailor development to the individual, and why investing in people is key to the future of telecoms.

Congratulations, Rich, on winning Mentor of the Year! How does it feel to be recognised for the time and energy you’ve dedicated to supporting others?

It feels amazing to be recognised within the industry like this, and something that I would never have imagined for myself. To be honest, I don’t feel like I put any particular special effort or energy into people as I just want to help them fulfil their potential but it’s nice that this has been recognised nonetheless.

You’ve been praised for inspiring junior engineers and helping them progress all the way to professional accreditation. What do you think makes your approach to mentoring effective?

I think it comes down to simply being enthusiastic and showing interest. When you really engage with individuals it’s not hard to see their ability and potential. One thing I always learned (perhaps through my own experience) is that just giving blind or “safe” feedback does not help – I always appreciated constructive feedback that helped me identify where I could improve. That being said, giving constructive feedback is only half the job, I think it is very important to then offer focused coaching to the individual to show them how to overcome their natural blind spots within their job/role – we all have them!

Many of your mentees highlight how you go the extra mile to tailor development plans to each individual. Can you share an example where this personalised approach made a big difference?

I think that tailoring your approach to the individual is very important and so you need to take time to read the individual correctly before tackling an issue. One example, although it’s happened a few times, is where you identify a square peg in a round hole. As a Civil/Structural Engineer, it is easy to assume that everyone wants to sit in an office and undertake analytical/maths-based work, but this is simply not the case. I’ve had a few individuals and one, that really likes the idea of being a high achieving office-based Engineer but really, when being honest, prefers the natural chaos and variety that field based engineering brings with its ‘live’ problems to solve. These particular issues naturally align with the individual’s strengths, and they excel in this area.

You’ve played a key role in developing both degree and craft apprenticeship programmes at Swann. What has been most rewarding about seeing these apprentices grow and move into permanent roles?

It is very rewarding to see individuals that come into the business at level 2 or 3, work through the factory development programme but then show an interest and aptitude to take their academic and career journey on to level 4, up to degree level. It is nice to be able to offer individuals the opportunity to change career path and fulfil their potential.

Mentoring takes patience, empathy and consistency. What motivates you to invest so much in the next generation of engineers, even alongside your demanding role as Technical Director?

Life can be tough, and one of the best defences against what life is going to through at everyone is a strong career. I’ve been lucky to develop one for myself, so I think it is so important for the next generations follow suit. Additionally, I am passionate for my industry and the only way for this to continue (so I can also do what I enjoy) is to ensure we have high calibre, mature and resilient professionals developing all the time.

Finally, what advice would you give to other leaders who want to become better mentors and create a culture of growth in their own organisations?

Simply show genuine enthusiasm and give real world coaching with both constructive and positive feedback. Let individuals know what they are good at and also what they are not so good at, but with coaching on how to improve in those specific areas – this is key.