Shaping tomorrow: business schools in alliance for gender equity

Held on 18 June 2025 at London Business School, the event – Women, Leadership and the Executive MBA: Breaking Barriers – Real Journeys, Real Impact – brought together alumnae from Cambridge Judge Business School, Imperial College Business School, London Business School and Oxford Saïd Business School. The evening was a showcase of authentic leadership, shared ambition, and cross-institutional collaboration.

The cross-school alliance was originated by Cambridge Judge in 2021 after the pandemic to create a collaborative event to demonstrate the power of an EMBA and its transformative impact.

When institutions come together with purpose, they can create the kind of momentum individual action alone cannot.

Dr Monica Wirz, Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge

“What happened in London wasn’t just an event: it was a reminder that when institutions come together with purpose, they can create the kind of momentum individual action alone cannot,” said keynote speaker Dr Monica Wirz, a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge who has conducted extensive research for the Business School on how to boost EMBA applications from women. “We need more spaces like this: intentional, collective and committed to real change.”

Alumnae from each business school shared success stories

Hosted by London Business School in partnership with education specialists the Advent Group, the event is part of a new annual initiative rotating among the 4 business schools. Its purpose: to encourage more women to pursue EMBA programmes and to accelerate gender equity in business and society.

A highlight of the evening was a panel discussion moderated by Dr Wirz, featuring alumnae from each of the schools who shared how the EMBA shaped their careers and leadership journeys.

“Joining the panel rekindled all the reasons I chose Cambridge Judge Business School,” said Síofra Rucker, an EMBA graduate of Cambridge Judge (EMBA 2023) who is Director of Advancement at the American School in London, leading fundraising, alumni relations and communications. “An outstanding EMBA curriculum is perhaps available in a handful of business schools, but one that is in the intellectual nerve centre that is Cambridge? That is singular.”

The other panellists were Sim Riordan, an alumna of Imperial Business School who is Director of Account Management at Reward Gateway; Anju Sima, an alumna of London Business School who is Head of Sales & Strategy, UK and Northern Europe, at financial technology firm MarketAxess, and Asta Jamison, an alumna of Oxford Saïd Business School who is founder and CEO of Spark to Connect, a company that empowers young people. Each story was a testament to the transformative power of business education when coupled with purpose and inclusion.

An outstanding EMBA curriculum is perhaps available in a handful of business schools, but one that is in the intellectual nerve centre that is Cambridge? That is singular.

Síofra Rucker (EMBA 2023)

A fresh initiative to boost the proportion of women EMBA students

Women currently comprise around 42% of Executive MBA (EMBA) cohorts across the 4 business schools. While that percentage has increased in the past decade, the business schools hope this fresh joint initiative provides an added boost toward gender parity.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire the next generation of female leaders who will drive meaningful change in business and society,” the 4 business schools said in a joint statement. “This event is about more than education; it’s about creating aspirational role models, championing leadership from within, fixing the broken ladder and raising, if not breaking, the glass ceiling.”

Although women hold 43% of board positions and 35% of senior leadership roles in FTSE 350 companies, only 19 of those firms are led by female CEOs, according to the 2024 FTSE Women Leaders Review.

Sharing journeys to reclaim the narrative of leadership

Dr Wirz’s research has informed real changes at Cambridge Judge. These include enhanced recruitment, targeted scholarships and policy changes at Cambridge Judge to support female EMBA candidates. The Business School is now revisiting these issues to assess its approach to the EMBA programme and how Cambridge Judge fosters gender equity in leadership. The initiatives reflect a broader institutional commitment to not just attracting women but ensuring they thrive and lead.

“When women come together to share their journeys and strategise for impact, we reclaim the narrative of leadership as our own,” says Dr Wirz. “Leadership is not about fitting into spaces built for others – it’s about rewriting the rules, so every voice at the table truly matters. Representation without agency is just another form of silence. Choosing the Executive MBA as a woman isn’t just a career move – it’s an act of defiance, a statement that we will either find a way or make one. It’s where personal ambition meets collective transformation.”