ACCI Young Professionals
Mentorship Program

In partnership with

The 2025 Young Professionals Mentorship Program is an exciting initiative to nurture and support the future leaders of Albany and the Lower Great Southern.

The program is designed to help businesses foster mentorship and guide their younger, less experienced team members in developing essential career skills and professional growth.

The 2025 ACCI Young Professionals Mentorship Program is a strategic investment in the growth of your team and your business. By sending your emerging leaders to the program, you’ll equip them with essential skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and workplace professionalism. These capabilities not only prepare them for future responsibilities but also enable them to make immediate, meaningful contributions to your organisation.

By supporting this initiative, your business helps build a thriving, connected professional ecosystem in Albany and the Lower Great Southern, ensuring a vibrant, future-ready economy. Empower your team today and strengthen your business for tomorrow.

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Meet the Mentors

Deb Edwards,
Krysta Guille Photography

Deb Edwards is a local business owner with over 20 years of experience in administration and finance management. She holds a Bachelor of Education, a Postgraduate Certificate in Business, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. As the director of two companies operating in Albany and the Great Southern region, she is dedicated to leveraging her expertise to support education and personal growth.

Throughout her career, Deb has been committed to fostering strong leadership and cultivating a positive workplace culture. She is passionate about sharing knowledge and empowering others to reach their full potential. With a keen interest in leadership dynamics and workplace culture, Deb explores strategies that enhance organisational effectiveness and employee engagement. Her background in education has instilled a lifelong commitment to learning, which she now combines with her business experience to support others on their professional journeys.

Nicola Edwards,
Synergy Graphics

With over 20 years in the creative industry, Nicola brings a wealth of experience in graphic design, marketing, and web design. She launched her own business, Synergy Graphics, as a freelancer and has since grown it into a vibrant studio in town, leading a team of four.

A passionate advocate for local business, Nicola co-founded the ‘Buy Albany, Buy Local ’Facebook page to support regional business and encourage community loyalty, and also facilitated the women in business networking group Great Southern Women for many years. Recognised for her innovative leadership, Nicola was a 2023 state finalist in the Telstra Best of Business Awards for Outstanding Growth and the 2024 state winner of the RCCI Business Excellence Awards for Innovation in Leadership.

Tim Martin,
UWA Albany

Tim Martin is the Director of UWA Albany, leading The University of Western Australia's operations, teaching, and engagement in Kinjarling/Albany. Prior to this role, he was the Associate Director of Student Services & Engagement at UWA, overseeing the university's student services and central student administrative teams. With over 20 years of experience in higher education—more than six years at UWA and over 14 years at Murdoch University—he has held a diverse range of student-focused roles, managing teams from small groups to large, multifaceted portfolios.

In addition to overseeing core business processes, Tim has managed international relationships, coordinated critical incident responses, and contributed to university governance and external organisations through committee roles. His academic background includes degrees in Asian Studies and Marketing & the Media, and he has completed the Signature Program through Leadership WA. Beyond his professional career, Tim has served on the board of a not-for-profit organisation supporting new migrants and refugees.

Tracey Bridges,
Albany Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Tracey is a regional business development specialist who has worked with small, big, new and startup businesses across Southern Africa and Western Australia for more than a decade. Having a degree in Marketing and The Media has allowed Tracey to build better pathways between digital marketing and online business, humancentric business design and profit management.

Tracey strongly believes that people should have easy access to healthy, low tox locally grown and loved produce and that people should easily be able to take advantage of everything the digital world can offer them and their business. In a bid to break down barriers in these areas, Tracey is a volunteer advisor on the Small Farmers WA board and is building a digital business builder program for entrepreneurs and growing businesses in Botswana so they can improve their confidence and fluency in their online space.

Simon Lyas,
Regional Development Australia

Simon has been the CEO for Regional Development Australia Great Southern WA Inc. since 2009. During this time Simon has guided the organisation from the program’s inception to become a successful and influential regional economic development organisation. Simon’s responsibilities include managing staff, board governance and secretarial support, strategic and business planning, financial control and overseeing several key initiatives including the Regional Study Hubs funded by the Dept of Education.

As a strong advocate and business leader for the region, Simon has developed an extensive network across all levels of government, industry and community. Simon volunteers on several local Boards including ATC Work Smart, Albany Community Bank - Fitsgerald Biosphere Community Collective and Golden Hill Steiner School, Denmark.

Before moving to the region Simon held senior executive positions for both government and the private sector in several industries including tourism, communications and marketing, project development, public administration and business management.

Join us

What Mentees Will Gain

Participants in the 2025 ACCI Young Professionals Mentorship Program will develop critical career and life skills, including strategic planning, problem-solving, and professional workplace etiquette. They’ll benefit from personalised mentorship, networking opportunities, learning from important career developing speakers and topics, and guidance to build lasting professional relationships.

With access to six bimonthly Lunch and Learn sessions and ongoing support from their mentors and ACCI, mentees will gain confidence, practical knowledge, and a supportive network to help them grow personally and professionally. This program provides the foundation for a successful and meaningful career journey.

Mentees and mentors are encouraged to continue their connections beyond the Lunch and Learn sessions, with the flexibility to arrange additional meetings or communications. The ACCI team will be on hand to provide ongoing support as needed.

What the Program Offers

The Young Professionals Mentorship Program will connect developing leaders with experienced mentors from within our community. Running throughout 2025, it includes:

Six bimonthly Lunch and Learn sessions on key topics relevant to professional and personal growth.
Tailored mentee/mentor matchmaking to ensure meaningful connections.
Opportunities to network, engage, and learn from seasoned professionals.
Ongoing support from mentors and the ACCI team.

This program builds on the success of the ACCI Mentorship Pilot Program, which ran from June to November 2024, and has been designed to expand and enhance opportunities for young professionals in our region.