University

„Wise Women of WU“: Mentoring program for WU graduates

03/09/2024

The mentoring program offers participants valuable impetus for their professional development. The application period is September 29, 2024.

"Wise Women of WU" is aimed at WU graduates with at least five years of professional experience who want to develop their careers and take them to the next level. With this program, WU is actively committed to increasing the proportion of women in companies and getting more WU alumnae into management positions.

[Translate to English:] Wise Women of WU

Ten participants benefit from individual mentoring by experienced and successful personalities with board, management or supervisory board experience who are actively committed to the advancement of women in business. This year's mentors are: Silvia Angelo, Elfriede Baumann, Christine Catasta, Karin Exner-Wöhrer, Patricia Neumann, Renate Niklas, Birgit Rechberger-Krammer, Herta Stockbauer, Sonja Wallner and Katharina Weishaupt.

The top female managers, who have completed a WU degree program themselves, provide valuable insights into their experiences and support their mentees in mastering senior faculty appointments and strategically preparing for future leadership roles. Their many years of expertise and their great commitment make the "Wise Women of WU" valuable companions in the professional advancement of women. In this way, they contribute to the promotion of equal opportunities and diversity in the economy.

The need for such a program is also demonstrated by the current situation in Austria: despite minor progress, women are still significantly underrepresented on the management floors of the companies with the highest turnover. The proportion of women on the management boards of the 200 companies with the highest turnover in Austria is currently around 12 percent, and around 27 percent on the supervisory boards.* These figures illustrate the continuing male dominance at the highest management levels of the economy and underline the relevance of initiatives such as "Wise Women of WU.

The program is scheduled for a duration of one year and includes regular meetings between mentor and mentee as well as a series of networking events. These offer participants the opportunity to exchange ideas, make contacts and gain valuable impetus for their professional development.

The application period for the new round of the program runs from now until September 29, 2024. Interested WU graduates can find more information about the program and how to apply on the WU Alumni Services website.

Further information

Link to the website of "Wise Women of WU"

*Source:
WOMEN.MANAGEMENT.REPORT.2024: https://www.arbeiterkammer.at/interessenvertretung/arbeitundsoziales/frauen/Frauen.Management.Report.2024.pdf (retrieved on 21.08.2024)

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