Dhanusha and Clancy - SPP Alumni Mentorship Programme
Dhanusha Rajendran (EMPA, 2025) & Clancy Abourizk (MPP, 2026)
Reconnecting with SPP alumni mentor Dhanusha and her mentee Clancy to discuss their experience of the SPP Alumni Mentorship Programme in 2025-26!
Can you tell us in a few short sentences about your career journey and studies at SPP?
Dhanusha: Throughout my career, I have primarily served Canadians through a focus on public policy and strategy within the financial sector. In my current role, I manage the corporate strategy and reporting function for a federal Crown corporation contributing to financial sector stability in Canada. Previously, I served as advisor on Canada’s payments modernisation program. Prior to that, I worked in the legal sector for a global law firm focused on venture capital firms and fintechs.
I completed the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) at LSE’s School of Public Policy (SPP) in 2025, graduating with Distinction and receiving the Sara Hagemann Prize for top performance in the programme. The experience broadened my perspective on public policy and provided the opportunity to augment my background by exploring new policy challenges facing today’s global and economic environment. More importantly, the programme offered a space to challenge existing and proposed policy perspectives and learn alongside an exceptional group of professionals from around the world.
Clancy: I’ve spent my career in the Australian Public Service, starting out in economic statistics before moving into economic policymaking. Along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to work on demography and migration, labour markets, and now budgeting and fiscal strategy. Last year, I took a break from that work to pursue the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the SPP. After years of focusing on domestic policy, I wanted to sharpen my technical toolkit, broaden my view beyond the economic lens, and learn alongside peers who would bring a completely different international perspective.
Why did you apply to be an SPP alumni mentor?
D: My EMPA experience with the SPP at LSE was incredibly invaluable, both professionally and personally. It is important to me to ensure that I give back to the SPP community and contribute to the success of new cohorts. Having experience in both the public and private sector, I know that making decisions can sometimes be challenging, specifically when exploring opportunities outside your subject matter or industry. I believe sharing my experiences can provide the insights to help a mentee better engage with their own options and make decisions that work for them. The mentorship program is a valuable addition to the LSE experience and I want to ensure I share my own experiences with the goal of supporting future policy professionals.
Why did you apply for be a SPP mentee?
C: I saw the mentoring scheme as the third pillar of my SPP experience, sitting alongside the academic theory of the classroom and the practical training of the Skills Accelerator courses. Going into a one-year programme, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the opportunities and deadlines. I applied to the scheme to hear from someone who had already been through the SPP and could help me spot the hidden gems and underrated opportunities of the year before it flew by.
What does being a mentor involve?
D: I believe a successful mentor acts as a sounding board, sharing experiences and supporting mentees in considering their goals, potential barriers and solutions, and developing practical steps in achieving them. This can include discussing career options, navigating difficult situations, identifying opportunities to upskill, or simply listening and understanding. A mentor's role is to create a space where mentees can ask questions, feel supported, and get honest and clear feedback. It's not about having all the answers, but about sharing experiences, perspectives, and lessons learned.
What would you say are the main benefits of the scheme?
C: As a mentee, the biggest benefit was perspective (both on my studies and the longer arc of my career. As my mentor Dhanusha had completed the EMPA rather than the MPP, and so was further along in her career). This meant she could help me contextualise the SPP experience while also offering a clear window into what senior leadership actually looks like further down the track.
For mentors, I think it can be a useful opportunity to take stock and reflect on their own leadership journey while giving back to current students. The process of thinking about what advice to give, and hearing what is on the mentee's mind, gives mentors a chance to reflect on how they’ve applied their SPP experience in the real world and the experiences that have shaped their journey.
D: The most beneficial part for mentees is the ability to connect with someone outside their immediate professional circle that can bring fresh eyes and new perspectives. Mentorship often goes both ways and the lessons learned as careers evolve means that both mentees and mentors have the opportunity to learn from one another. For mentors, this is also an invaluable tool to both help them better understand shifts in employment and how to lead more effectively in their own teams and within their organisation. The organic nature of a mentor/mentee relationship often provides benefits and growth opportunities for both parties involved. It also provides mentors with the opportunity to reflect on our own experiences and apply new ways of thinking by staying connected to the ideas and ambitions of the next generation of policy professionals.
What do you think makes a good mentor?
D: I think a good mentor is approachable, curious and willing to listen. It's important to be honest about your own experiences, including the challenges and uncertainties we’ve faced, rather than presenting a career as a perfectly planned journey. A good mentor also recognises that everyone's circumstances and ambitions are different. Ultimately, it's less about having the right answers and more about helping someone feel confident enough to find their own.
What advice would you give to students and alumni to make the most of being a part of the LSE alumni community?
One of the best things about the LSE alumni community is the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and career paths it brings together. My advice is to be proactive in building connections, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Be curious and look for ways to learn from others. The value of the alumni community goes beyond networking or career opportunities, some of the most meaningful connections develop over time.
What is the best piece of advice or guidance you have received in your career?
D: The best advice I have received in my career is to remember your successes, not in comparing to the successes of others. It is always important to learn from others’ successes but that comes second to remembering your own. We all find motivation and drive in different ways but in my case, this was the most helpful perspective in giving me the confidence to move forward.
What were the highlights from your experience as a mentee?
C: The highlight for me was having a thoughtful and open sounding board for the bigger-picture workplace questions that don’t get covered in class, and can be hard to raise with colleagues. We talked a lot about the practicalities of career progression, like shifting from being a technical specialist to a manager, and understanding what senior leaders actually need from their teams to make their lives easier. Hearing her reflections on navigating those transitions, while still protecting time for family and home life, was the most memorable part of the scheme (especially as I had a new baby on the way!).