The search for fresh, career enhancing experiences threads through Hunter Montgomery’s resume. Early jobs included herding cattle on a working ranch in Wyoming and running the first distribution center for Nantucket Nectars at a crucial time in the beverage company’s growth. Focused on marketing after getting his MBA at UT Austin, Montgomery continued to explore, building category expertise at companies in various growth phases, from start-up and turnaround to growth. As CMO of business-to-business software provider Higher Logic since 2013, his desire for exploration led him to sign up for AMADC’s 2016-2017 Mentor Program.

The search for fresh, career enhancing experiences threads through Hunter Montgomery’s resume. Early jobs included herding cattle on a working ranch in Wyoming and running the first distribution center for Nantucket Nectars at a crucial time in the beverage company’s growth. Focused on marketing after getting his MBA at UT Austin, Montgomery continued to explore, building category expertise at companies in various growth phases, from start-up and turnaround to growth. As CMO of business-to-business software provider Higher Logic since 2013, his desire for exploration led him to sign up for AMADC’s 2016-2017 Mentor Program.

“I wanted to connect with younger marketers to understand more of what they’re learning,” he explains. “I’ve been in marketing several decades now, and I approach this discipline in a certain way. But there are many possible strategies and tactics to take, so I figured that mentoring could be a way to explore and learn.”

What did you gain from being a mentor? My protégé is employed at a huge, big-brand name company in business to consumer marketing. My background is largely business-to-business tech at mid-size firms or start-ups. Really, just by listening to him, asking questions and hearing about his experiences, I gained knowledge of the issues that come with working in the marketing group of a significantly bigger corporation. I started the relationship focused on my mentee, with his needs as the priority. In looking for ways to help him, I realized that much of a mentor’s value comes from his or her experience, and from being willing and able to give a younger person insight and lessons learned.

Tell us more about what you gave to your mentee. I have to tell you: my mentee was great! He reached out; he was proactive. He explained the career help that he wanted, and came to our meetings with specific questions, like, “How can I help my boss better? How should I approach this?” Although I wasn’t able to provide specific advice for every situation, I did help him understand the bigger context, the pressures and concerns that his superiors likely deal with, and then make suggestions. For instance, if the advice is to “Know your numbers,” I also explained why that’s so important. I did my best to offer appropriate insight and advice. And if I wasn’t sure, or felt I didn’t know enough, I said so.

Tips for other would-be Mentors? Being a mentor is a lot about helping someone else, and learning through them and from them. At the program’s start, I didn’t know what part of my career experience would be most valuable to my protégé. Having completed the program, I can say that I’d do it again. I value the experience. It was a great way to gain insight into marketing from the perspective of the next generation and it is a lot easier than roping cattle!