Duration
3 days (Face-to-face)
6 half-day sessions (Live Online)
Dates
28-30 Sep 2022 (Face-to-face) – waitlist
16-18 and 23-25 Nov 2022 (Live Online)
29-31 Mar 2023 (Face-to-face)
28-30 Jun 2023 (Face-to-face)
27-29 Sep 2023 (Face-to-face)
22-24 and 29 Nov-1 Dec 2023 (Live Online)
Overview | Topics & benefits | Faculty | Formats | Attendees | Contact | Scholarship

Take your career to the next level
The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is designed for women with high leadership potential who want to take their career to the next level and reach leadership roles. While many factors hinder women’s progression into leadership positions, the programme is centred around what women can do and how they can leverage their strengths to thrive and advance in business organisations.
The programme takes a strengths-based perspective, looking at the positives of female power and encouraging authentic leadership styles that serve you and your organisation. Since 2017, our Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme has helped support over 200 women to develop a strength-based approach to building leadership skills. The programme fosters an atmosphere of trust, to challenge one another whilst giving and receiving meaningful feedback, and allowing you to explore your authentic leadership style in a safe and supportive space.
Four core themes – or ‘pillars’ – form the basis of the programme: self-awareness, strengths building, shared experience – ‘words of wisdom’ and continued learning.

Topics
Your learning journey
Module 1: Strength-based approach and your leadership strengths
- Apply a strength-based approach to developing leadership skills
- Feel comfortable with highlighting your strengths when speaking about yourself
- Identify development areas to unlock leadership potential
- Explain how female leaders develop authentic leadership styles.
Module 2: Finding meaning in work and resilience
- Articulate your personal vision statement to communicate your unique work contribution
- Manage challenging situations by learning to pause in the moment when triggered to stop a habitual defence reaction
- Identify and balance the energisers and energy drainers in your workday.
Module 3: The power of communication and negotiation strategies
- Identify how your physical and vocal habits affect the impression you create and the way you feel
- Assess and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of your current negotiation approach
- Use a practical framework to strengthen your negotiation approach as a female leader.
Module 4: Networks and how leaders define success
- Identify what type of network you need to develop to augment your career prospects and opportunities
- Be more comfortable with networking and use effective networking strategies
- Explain how leaders define success for themselves as well as their teams and followers.
Module 5: Career negotiation strategies
- Examine how power is used, deflected and redefined during negotiations
- Recognise the challenges of negotiating with superiors and how gender influences the process
- Negotiate more confidently and effectively.
Module 6: Managing difficult conversations and the power of communication
- Evaluate the risks and challenges of difficult conversations
- Identify key behaviours to effectively conduct difficult conversations
- Analyse the impact of physical and vocal choices on the way a conversation develops.
Download the brochure for more information on the modules and faculty.
Benefits
- World-leading academic insights from Cambridge faculty
- Research-based frameworks
- Psychometric assessment tools
- Practical skill-building sessions
- Informal panel conversations with senior executives
- Peer-to-peer mentoring
- Physical and vocal workshops
- Access to a global network of programme alumni
- On completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a digital certificate of completion by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.

This programme counts towards the Cambridge Judge Business School General Management Certificate of Achievement. On completing the GMCA you will be eligible to become an associate member of Cambridge Judge Business School’s global network of graduates and business-focused University of Cambridge alumni, faculty and staff.

This programme is certified by the CPD Certification Service. It may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies.
Faculty & 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 Director (APD) for the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is Dr Patrizia Vecchi.
Access profiles of the programme’s APD and faculty:
Download the brochure for more information on the modules and faculty.
Programme formats

Live Online
Our Live Online programmes bring Cambridge to you wherever you are, delivering the best aspects of a face-to-face learning experience here in Cambridge, into your office or home. Using technologies we are all now familiar with, you will take part in breakout groups with real time interaction between your peers and faculty. You will engage in realistic simulations or use software-enabled “sprint” design development. We also introduce guest speakers, live “Cambridge Union”-style debates and panels of experts and practitioners into the class.
Our Live Online programmes take place over a number of half-day sessions, run in the mornings (UK time).

Face-to-face
Face-to-face is a traditional, intense classroom learning experience and is all about hands-on interaction. You will be a part of exercises, debates and conversations, engaging directly with our faculty and your peers. Conversations spill over into breaktimes and meals, forming lasting connections. Share your ideas, develop your network and grow professionally, whilst enjoying the historic city of Cambridge.
Who should attend?
- Women who are intent on growing their professional capabilities and also their personal capabilities beyond corporate life
- Participants are usually in the early to middle phases of their careers in management roles, with around three to 10 years’ experience in an entry to a middle-management role.
Important notice on fees
A price increase will go into effect on 1 September 2022 across our programme portfolio. The price of the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme face-to-face programme will change from £3,300 + VAT to £3,450 + VAT. The price of the Live Online programme will change from £2,475 + VAT to £2,600 + VAT. All bookings made prior to this date will be honoured at the previously advertised rate.
Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education appreciates your continued support and business. Should you have any questions or concerns about this increase, we encourage you to reach out to our Team.
Waitlist
Please note that there is a waiting list for the September 2022 face-to-face session. Please get in touch at [email protected] if you would like to be added to the waiting list in the event of any cancellations.
30% Club scholarship
The 30% Club was established in the UK in 2010, with a goal of achieving 30% women on FTSE 100 boards by the end of 2015 in order to create a more balanced and diverse workforce. When the initiative was first launched the figure stood at just 12.5%. This goal was achieved and extended to FTSE 350 boards which was also achieved in 2019. These significant results have been achieved by encouraging chairmen to appoint more women to boards, and by supporting businesses in implementing schemes to improve diversity at all levels within their organisation. But there is still work to be done in senior management roles.
Cambridge Judge Business School is collaborating with the 30% Club to address the imbalance and to provide opportunities for talented women to access the benefits of a world-class business education.
Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education offers one full scholarship (worth £3,300 each), for each three-day Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme.
This unique three-day open enrolment programme has been designed specifically for high potential women in junior and mid-level managerial positions aspiring to reach the top, or senior positions, within their organisations. The programme is unique because it:
- Integrates insights from cutting-edge evidence-based research and rich practical lessons
- Provides participants with the opportunity to hear personal stories and have open dialogue with successful industry leaders
- Creates a life-long supportive partnership with fellow participants and the CJBS community.
The successful candidate will be nominated by their organisation, be ambitious and eager to grow their personal and professional capabilities and have a minimum of three years’ experience in a management role.
For the next programme on 16-18 and 23-25 Nov 2022 (Live Online), the application round is now open and the deadline for submission is Friday 9 September 2022. The winner will be announced by Friday 30 September 2022.
For any further questions, please get in touch with the programme advisor, Claire Wright at [email protected] or call +44 (0)1223 330741.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) update
Why Cambridge Judge Business School?
Cambridge Judge faculty
All of our programmes are designed and led by an Academic Programme Director, who is a member of Cambridge Judge Business School faculty. They will also deliver substantial portions of that programme.
Leading-edge research
The research conducted by Cambridge Judge Business School’s 19 research centres, across a diverse range of disciplines, flows directly into all of our programmes, bringing new insights to our programme content.
Small group learning
With small class sizes, we continue the Cambridge way of learning that emphasises high levels of interaction with both our world-class faculty and peers.
Related programmes
Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme belongs to our Leadership-topic executive education programmes. Here are a selection of related programmes:
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 programme advisor:
Claire Wright
Business Development Director
Open Programmes
Tel: +44 (0)1223 330741
Mob: +44 (0)7548 708067

Fees
£3,300 + VAT (Face-to-face) £2,475 (Live Online)
Fees include instruction, materials, lunch and breaks. Preferential rates may be available for groups, University of Cambridge alumni and members of the School’s Alumni Association. Please note prices pre-registration are subject to change.
Additional information
Registration closes at midday two working days before the programme start date.
Participants are expected to attend the full programme.
VAT is charged at the prevailing rate, which is currently 20%; e.g. £3,300 + 20% = £3,960.
For information regarding payment terms, cancellation rights, transfer policies and fees, please see our terms & conditions documents:
Terms & Conditions for Self-funded Applicants (updated 25 August 2021)
Terms & Conditions for Organisation-funded Applicants (updated 25 August 2021)
Version 17 (11 April 2022)