Some 80 mentees have graduated since TIME launched (10 if them this week) and there are currently an additional 14 mentees taking their TIME journey.
Programme 20 which commences on 25 February 2026 is already full with a waitlist and programme 21 in June 2026 is filling fast. This week TIME confirmed its first mentee on programme 23 in December 2026.
‘As more companies get involved they keep spreading the message further,’ says chair Andrew Gay. ‘We’re also seeing more scholarships, and we appreciate the support of partners in that area.’
Gay says TIME is experiencing growing interest in the travel broker space, as brokers realise they could run a more substantial business with the right guidance and support.
‘We’d like to see more SME owners and franchisees taking the step and we are also expanding into the hotel sector a bit more. This is all about the wider tourism and travel industry – it is wider than just the agency sector. Aviation and hotels are part of that.’
Mentees who graduated at Crown Institute of Studies on Wednesday night were: Catherine Johnson, HOT Ashburton, mentor Jenny Ryan; Gayan Edirisinghe, mentor Gaye Wood; Tina Tionosio, Air New Zealand, mentor David Caldwell; Laura Hutchings, Travel & Co, mentor Sandy Trapski; Renee Temple, Helloworld, Rototuna; mentor Rachael Nicholson; Shruti Save, FCM Travel, mentor Tracey van der Walt; Trish Seeherr, TS Travel, mentor Guy Robinson; Anna Rowbotham, Fuzion Travel, mentor Phil Goad; Angela Bishop, mentor Debbie Gyde; Taylor Le Breton, mentor Alana Puschmann.
Hutchings and Temple were both recipients of an Allianz Scholarship whilst Rowbotham and Seeherr received NCL Scholarships.
Seven new mentees joined the programme on 26 November, on intake 19. They were: Emma Bradley, First Light Travel; Cara Botica, Allianz Partners; Jolanda Odermatt, Envoyage (Aussie Specialist Scholarship); Mariah Armstrong, Allianz Partners; Megan Stirling, HOT, Ashburton (Aussie Specialist Scholarship); Tracy Patching, Air New Zealand; Will Paul, Tandem Travel.
Phil Goad, Discover the World; Anna Rowbotham, Fuzion Travel; Laura Hutchings, Travel & Co; Sandy Trapski, Tandem Travel
Shaun Muller, Helloworld; Jenny Ryan, Hawkes Bay tourism operator; Catherine Johnson, House of Travel
Rachel Nicholson, Accor; Dan Wright, Tourism Australia; Patricia Xu, Air New Zealand
Maxine Whiting, House of Travel; Alana Puschmann, independent; Taylor Le Breton, House of Travel; Megan Stirling, HOT Ashburton
Cain Thompson, Globus family of brands; Veronica King, Aussie Specialists Program; Dave Fordyce, House of Travel
Gabby Oliver, Back-Roads / Topdeck; Megan Porter, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL); Tracey Brennan, AmaWaterways; Renee Temple, Helloworld
Gaynor Morrah, Paula Watson, both House of Travel; Tahlia Crocker, Mariah Armstrong, both Allianz Partners
