The Cambridge and Financial Times Women in Leadership Programme
Transform your leadership impact with this in-person executive education programme, crafted for senior women leaders ready to lead authentically, strategically and with real-world influence. Delivered in collaboration with the Financial Times, this unique collaboration blends the academic excellence of Cambridge Judge Business School with cutting-edge insight from FT editors, curated digital content and global industry leaders.
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Dates:
Duration:
Fees:
Face-to-face
23-27 Nov 2025
4.5 days
£7,950 + VAT
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Face-to-face
Dates:
23-27 Nov 2025
Duration:
4.5 days
Fees:
£7,950 + VAT
Overview
In today’s dynamic and high stakes leadership environment, women must be equipped not only to perform but to shape strategy, influence outcomes and lead with authority at the most senior levels. Yet many traditional leadership programmes don’t fully address the distinct challenges women face on their path to the top, from navigating bias and power dynamics to managing visibility, confidence and credibility.
This 4-and-a-half-day, in-person executive education programme is designed specifically for experienced women in senior and mid-senior roles who are ready to accelerate their impact, step into greater influence and lead authentically at scale. Delivered by Cambridge Judge Business School in collaboration with the Financial Times, this unique partnership blends world-class academic thinking with cutting-edge insight from FT editors, curated digital content and senior industry leaders, offering a powerful combination of personal reflection, strategic development and real-world relevance.
During this programme participants explore how to lead strategically, influence across boundaries and navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.
In the weeks following the programme, you will receive a Leadership Development Journey Report, to help you consolidate your learning, reflect on your growth, and plan next steps.
Benefits and career impact
- Gain greater clarity, confidence and presence as a senior leader.
- Build executive presence and political agility through a combination of academic frameworks, real-world case studies and peer learning.
- Develop the confidence to lead authentically, influence at senior levels, and navigate complexity with clarity and purpose.
- Deepen self-awareness and resilience to navigate high-pressure environments.
- Expand your strategic perspective and prepare for executive or board-level roles.
- Gain exposure to diverse leadership perspectives through contributions from both global industry and Financial Times experts.
- A digital certificate of attendance from Cambridge Judge Business School, verifiable, shareable on LinkedIn and ideal for showcasing executive education and leadership development.
- Access an extended 12-month subscription to the FT Women in Business Programme, offering access to global insights, curated webinars, editorial resources and an active network of peers, helping participants stay connected and expand their influence well beyond the classroom.
- Participants will also receive a 12 month digital subscription to FT.com.
- Membership of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre.
- Develop leaders who are equipped to lead through complexity and change.
- Strengthen diversity at senior levels and build a more inclusive leadership pipeline.
- Enhance leadership effectiveness across strategic, relational and cultural dimensions.
- Increase the organisation’s capacity for innovation, collaboration and transformation.
- Retain and invest in high-potential talent through meaningful leadership development.
Today’s business challenges demand leaders who integrate strategic focus, adaptability and authenticity. Join peers to explore how to leverage your experience and lead with clarity and intention. The unique scholarship and ethos of Cambridge Judge Business School has always embraced complexity and societal impact, providing the perfect setting to develop your leadership skills for impact in a world that demands innovation, commitment and resilience.
This programme is being delivered in collaboration with the Financial Times.
Programme content
Pre-programme
- Psychometrics assessments including the Cambridge OBPI and a 360 assessment to build a deeper understanding of your leadership style, behavioural patterns and impact on others.
- One-to-One Leadership Coaching – A dedicated coaching session to help you reflect on your assessment insights, clarify your personal leadership goals and align your individual development objectives with the programme experience.
Module 1: Leading from your self
This module focuses on deepening self-awareness and stepping into your full leadership potential.
- Leadership identity, values and vision; understanding where I can make a unique contribution.
- Executive presence and authentic confidence.
- Resilience and self-regulation.
Module 2: Leading through others
This module focuses on strengthening your ability to lead through others, with influence and empathy.
- Organisational politics and power dynamics.
- Influence effectively across senior stakeholders, peers and teams.
- High-impact communication and negotiation.
Module 3: Leading in complexity
This module focuses on leading transformation and navigating complexity with purpose.
- Leading cultural and systemic change.
- Make sound decisions in ambiguous or high-pressure environments.
- Foster an environment that supports innovation, experimentation and resilience.
Module 4: Leading beyond
This module focuses on expanding your leadership reach, developing your long-term leadership impact.
- Systemic thinking and wider societal impact.
- Transitioning to board-level leadership.
- Defining your personal leadership legacy.
Post-programme
- An additional coaching session to help you align your goals with your learning from the programme, accelerating your impact as a leader.
- Membership of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre.
- Access to both the FT Women in Business Programme and a 12-month digital subscription to FT.com. The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy helping you to understand the latest news and insights to make more informed decisions confidently.
How you learn: Face-to-face
This unique collaboration between Cambridge Judge and the Financial Times is embedded throughout the programme. FT-led sessions, delivered by expert editors and contributors, complement the academic content and add timely, real-world perspective. Their insights and curated content bring current global business themes into the learning experience, enriching dialogue and deepening understanding.
Immerse yourself in an inspirational learning environment in the historic and beautiful city of Cambridge. In an intense classroom-based experience, you will engage with faculty and peers in person.
Who attends
This programme is designed for ambitious women in mid-to-senior leadership roles who are ready to elevate their strategic impact, lead change, and shape the future
of their organisations. Participants will typically include:
- Those keen to expand their networks, gaining insight and support from a diverse cohort of high-calibre peers across industries.
- Senior Managers, Heads of Department
and newly appointed Directors seeking to
strengthen their cross-functional influence and
step confidently into more senior roles. - Leaders managing teams, functions or high-stakes
projects, preparing to navigate greater
complexity and enterprise-wide responsibility. - Change-makers driving transformation or
innovation, who want to sharpen their decision-making, communication and resilience under
pressure. - Women preparing for executive or board-level
roles, focused on building presence, political
agility and long-term leadership readiness.
In today’s uncertain and fast-paced world, leadership requires foresight, resilience and peer learning. This is what we aim to create with the Cambridge and Financial Times Women in Leadership programme – a network of similarly minded leaders who can develop the tools for taking their career and their organisation to the next level. From Jane Fraser (Citibank) to Arianna Huffington (Huffington Post), come join the Cambridge women who changed the world.
Faculty and speakers
Learn from our world-class faculty who bring fresh insights from their leading-edge research into all of our Executive Education programmes. The Academic Programme Directors (APD) for the Cambridge and Financial Times Women’s Leadership Programme are Jennifer Howard-Grenville and Thomas Roulet.
PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
PhD (HEC Paris)
Member of the Advisory Board, Cambridge Judge Business School
Fellow (Organisational Theory and Information Systems)
PhD (McGill University)
Isabel works with Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
Isabelle Campbell
Isabelle Campbell
VP – Portfolio and Programmes, Product & Technology, Financial TimesIsabelle works with Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
Why Cambridge Judge Business School?
Why Cambridge Judge Business School and the FT?
This unique collaboration between Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education and the Financial Times is embedded throughout the programme.
Related programmes
The Cambridge and Financial Times Women in Leadership Programme belongs to our Leadership-topic programmes.
Here is a selection of related programmes from across our portfolio:
Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme
Explore your professional capabilities and build a strengths-based approach to leadership. The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is designed for women in the early to middle phases of their management career and looks at the positives of female power. Reflecting on your authentic female leadership style, you’ll develop a career action plan focusing on your rise to senior leadership roles.
Cambridge Advanced Leadership Programme
Refresh your thinking and fine-tune your leadership agenda. The Cambridge ALP is a challenging, immersive programme designed for seasoned senior leaders and executives looking to revitalise their leadership strategies. Weaving together vibrant debate, deep experience and leading-edge thinking, you’ll gain new skills, confidence and networks. Step back. Take stock. Then return, ready to move forward and create immediate impact.
The Cambridge and Financial Times Strategy Programme
Transform your strategic thinking and drive organisational success on this programme developed by Cambridge Judge Business School in collaboration with the Financial Times. This unique collaboration offers the strongest academic foundations, elevated by practical and topical insights from exclusive access to FT digital content and innovative interactive workshops led by FT editors.
Speak to a programme advisor
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how this programme could benefit you or your organisation, please get in touch with the programme advisor.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to have a chat about this programme and how it could benefit you or your organisation, please get in touch with the Open Programmes team: