Our Partnership
with Mimecast

Mimecast knew they had talented women. They could see it. They identified an opportunity to strengthen their leadership pipeline and accelerate the progression of that talent. 

This wasn’t about adding another development intervention. It was a structured, coaching-led Women in Leadership programme designed for the reality of a high-pressure global tech business  – built to evolve as trust and impact grew. 

Over three years and across six countries, that programme became one of Mimecast’s most sought-after leadership pathways. What started as a cautious pilot became central to the way Mimecast developed their leaders. 

Cybersecurity is a male-dominated industry. Mimecast had talented women at every level — but the further up you looked, the fewer there were.  The opportunity was to further strengthen the pathways and support that enable leadership transition. 

Their goals for the programme:
–  Develop and retain talented women across global markets
–  Align leadership behaviours with their competency framework
–  Create visible, credible pathways for progression
–  Address diversity gaps structurally — not case by case 

This was Mimecast’s first global women’s leadership programme. Participants were spread across the UK, India, US, Dubai, France and South Africa. Tight timelines. High expectations. Operating in a context where leadership expectations are high, and progression can require navigating complex and often unspoken dynamics. 

Talking Talent designed a Women in Leadership programme for 20 participants across functions, seniority levels and six countries.

The programme included:
– Small-group coaching sessions, delivered online
– A face-to-face leadership retreat
– Digital coaching platform for sustained learning and behaviour change

Why this approach worked:
Most leadership development assumes readiness. We designed for reality. Coaching, peer connection and an immersive retreat created space for participants to surface what they’d been managing privately, reframe behavioural and cultural barriers as systemic rather than personal, and build confidence grounded in clarity not reassurance.

We didn’t motivate. We reframed, supported and made the invisible visible.

Retention and promotion

Participants stayed. And they progressed. The programme became one of the most sought-after development opportunities at Mimecast – a recognised marker of capability and readiness. The 2026 cohort of 20 tells its own story: 100% of participants felt more confident achieving their goals. 94% would recommend the programme without hesitation.

Retention was high. Internal promotions increased. The third cohort completed in early 2025.

Behaviour change

Leadership behaviours shifted measurably across cohorts – from execution and adaptability in 2024, to trust, resilience and cross-functional influence by 2025. The 2026 data deepens that picture: 4.7 out of 5 overall. 86% rated coaching a 5 out of 5. 67% felt more confident navigating their career advancement. And 77% called the leadership retreat exceptional.

Lasting change

Mimecast didn’t just run a programme. They built a pipeline. The question moved from “how do we develop women leaders?” to “how do we scale what works?” What began as a cautious pilot is now a key leadership development pathway across the organisation.

If women aren’t progressing in your organisation, it’s rarely about capability. It’s about the absence of the structural, behavioural and cultural support to hold them through it.

Mimecast didn’t need a confidence programme. They needed clarity, structure and sustained support for people already doing the work.

“Made me take a deeper look at myself and my career journey.” MimecastHER Participant, 2026

Talent doesn’t leave organisations. It leaves environments that hold it back.

We should talk about that.