“Half of the approximately 3000 people who complete a degree program at WU every year are female, which means that many top-qualified women enter the job market year by year. Nevertheless, management positions in companies and organizations are still male dominated. I want to see more of our women graduates in leadership positions in the long term, which is why I launched the Wise Women of WU program,” says WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger. In this program, 10 female graduates are given the opportunity to advance their careers effectively. The places are in great demand: The number of applicants almost doubled from the first to the second round. This fall sees the start of the fourth round of this mentoring program, which is overseen and organized by WU Alumni.

Wise Women: Skill development and exchange of knowledge and experience

The Wise Women program focuses on improving the career opportunities of female WU graduates through an exchange of knowledge and insights with experienced alumnae and by building strong networks. Each of the 10 participants is mentored by an experienced woman top manager with experience as a member of a board of directors, executive board, or supervisory board. During the selection process, great importance is placed on pairing the right mentors and mentees, because the duos are expected to stay together for a significant part of their future careers, supporting each other and learning from each other. “It’s very important to give more visibility to female executives so that they can become role models for other women to follow. If young professionals see that other women have made it to the top, and if they even get the opportunity to learn first-hand from their mentors’ experiences and their advice, these young women will be able to compete for top jobs with much more confidence,” explains the Rector.

2022/23 program schedule

Female WU graduates with at least five years of relevant professional experience can apply online until September 18. After an internal pre-selection process, the best candidates will have the opportunity to pitch for one of the 10 coveted places in the mentoring program at the end of October. The kick-off event is scheduled for November 28. The mentees will be paired with the following mentors this year: Silvia Angelo, Elfriede Baumann, Christine Catasta, Monika Kircher, Patricia Neumann, Renate Niklas, Tatjana Oppitz, Regina Prehofer, Herta Stockbauer, and Katharina Weishaupt.

Click the link to find out more about the Wise Women of WU program.

Contact:
Cornelia Moll
Press Relations Officer
Tel: + 43-1-31336-4977
Email: cornelia.moll@wu.ac.at