I have always had the impression that ULI is a leading professional association that prides itself in putting on high quality events and initiatives. The ULI Mentorship Program confirmed my beliefs and my experience with the program far exceeded my expectations. The Mentorship Program begins with the mentee application and mentor matching. Both the application and mentor matching are highly organized and expertly carried out by the ULI staff. I was fortunate to be paired with Nick Macrae, Senior Portfolio Manager, Real Estate at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). I admired Nick’s wealth of experience and his professional, yet jovial, attitude helped us develop a strong rapport early on. Nick was an excellent listener and had a knack for asking the right questions to assist me in my career decision-making process. Moreover, he made it clear that his role was not to instruct me how to proceed in a given situation but rather to provide me guidance as I undertook my own problem solving.

Throughout my one-year mentorship, Nick assisted me in preparing for a pay increase discussion, helped me refine my future career goals and introduced me to several distinguished real estate industry participants. Additionally, we were able to discuss matters outside of our profession and often talked about our family lives and our mutual interest for community involvement. I look forward to staying in touch with Nick and continuing to build on the excellent foundation that we have constructed.

I would highly recommend the ULI Mentorship Program to other aspiring leaders and established professionals. The ULI team takes the time to ensure mentor-mentee pairings are successful by offering strong support throughout the process, providing career planning tools and holding organized professional development workshops. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in the program once again in the future as a mentor.

Mentor – Nick Macrae, Senior Portfolio Manager, Real Estate, HOOPP

Having participated in the ULI Toronto Mentorship Program for several years, I can attest it is an extremely rewarding experience. The opportunity to contribute to the career development of a young professional in the industry is a privilege. Further, the experience is equally valuable for me as a mentor as the excitement and energy of the mentees is always inspiring. This was certainly the case with Aleks as over the course of the past year we were able to share ideas, challenges and opportunities. We were able to share work and life experiences which enriched each of us.