AmCham Mentorship Program Group Meeting: Inclusive Leadership & Reverse Mentoring

AmCham’s recent Mentorship Program group gathering was cordially hosted at GE Healthcare‘s production facility in Oslo. Our session featured informative presentations and discussions by General Manager Cathrine Thomassen and Stine Saatvedt, Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft.   

Our group received an overview of GE Healthcare’s expansive Norway operations and key facts on their impressive production facilities. Cathrine shared her experience and insights on inclusive leadership, focusing on actions that leaders can take to enhance inclusivity, understanding, and competence. Cathrine Thomassen emphasized that “inclusive leadership is embedded throughout our entire company, and as the standard, we aim to be the best at GE Healthcare.” It is a daily practice, ensuring that diversity is respected and humility is observed, creating space for others to contribute. Cathrine also reminded the group of our unconscious bias, and that all leaders should take this into consideration.

“Inclusive leadership is embedded throughout our entire company, and as the standard, we aim to be the best at GE Healthcare .”

Cathrine Thomassen

Cultivating a Culture of Cross-Generational Learning

In the second half of the session, we learned that Microsoft upholds the same high organizational standards as it does in its products and services. While other companies seek to fine-tune their culture to remain attractive to young talent, Microsoft’s approach, “guided by our mission, is to nurture an inclusive culture within our organization and the products we create. We empower our employees through Employee Resource Groups, which offer opportunities for growth, celebration, and community engagement.”  

Stine stressed that the power of reverse mentoring is particularly relevant in this new AI era, where younger and older generations benefit in cross-sharing knowledge – helping to lead in the evolving landscape and directly impacting companies’ bottom lines. True empowerment is achievable through inclusion, and Microsoft’s mission is tied to the idea that success means including every individual.   

“Guided by our mission, is to nurture an inclusive culture within our organization and the products we create. We empower our employees through Employee Resource Groups, which offer opportunities for growth, celebration, and community engagement!”

Stine Saatvedt

Cathrine Thomassen - GE Healthcare

Stine Saatvedt - Microsoft

About the AmCham Mentorship Program

With its unique cross-industry orientation, AmCham’s Mentorship Program offers a dynamic, internationally minded arena for leadership development. The program pairs emerging corporate talent with seasoned executives from AmCham Patron-level member companies. The result: a collaborative arena that fosters improvement and reflection, prepares young leaders for the challenges of the international marketplace, and forges bonds between AmCham’s transatlantic member companies.

For further information and interest in the program, please contact janice.gundersen@amcham.no.

Past Mentorship Program Events