How an MBA empowers women to aim for the top

Most organisations know it makes great business sense to have diverse workforces. They invest in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) approaches. And they commit to providing wider access to opportunity.

And yet, the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Gender Gap report shows that although the number of women leaders is slowly growing, we are still nowhere near parity. Men continue to dominate board-level and senior leadership roles – holding 71.7% of VP positions, and 74.6% of C-suite positions.

And this isn’t because women don’t want to advance. In its 2023, report – Women in the Workplace – McKinsey found that 90% of women under the age of 30 are actively seeking promotion. And amongst these women, 75% are targeting senior leadership positions.

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Why do we need more women in senior positions?

Katleen De Stobbeleir, Professor of Leadership and Coaching at Vlerick, says many studies have shown that women managers are better at empathising, communicating and collaborating than their male counterparts. Her own research also revealed that women are better at coaching, stakeholder management and fostering inclusion and diversity.

All these characteristics are associated with improved business performance. So it’s no surprise that studies in the USA have shown that women-led companies in the S&P500 consistently outperform organisations led by men – sometimes by a factor of three.

So why is there a gender gap – and how can an MBA help to close it?

The problem, according to McKinsey, is not necessarily that women hit a glass ceiling. It’s more that they have to climb a ladder that has missing rungs. In other words, women are often denied opportunities in the earlier stages of their careers – which can make it impossible to catch up with male colleagues.

So if your organisation wants to reap the benefits of having more diverse leadership teams – or if you’re a woman who wants to accelerate her own career – executive education can help.

In fact an MBA doesn’t just provide a rung on the ladder. It actively accelerates the journey upwards.

Vlerick’s MBA is available in four formats: Full-time MBA (full-time), Executive MBA (in-person), Online Executive MBA  (100% online) and the European Executive MBA (blended).

Develop your own leadership style at Vlerick

Patricia Engels started out on Vlerick’s European Executive MBA in 2023. She already had a huge amount of professional experience and joined the programme as the Global Head of Talent for a major European company. Nevertheless, she found the MBA gave her an opportunity to develop professionally and personally.

She says: “The EEMBA has given me space to not judge myself – and give myself a licence to operate differently.”

Maartje Meijer is another participant in Vlerick’s European Executive MBA. She says: “The MBA has given me the skills to be more resilient. You get into the programme and you realise that everyone is a newbie in some way. This really opens the space for collaboration and greater diversity of thoughts

Huyen Le completed a Full-Time MBA at Vlerick before going on to launch her own company, Joylists.

She says: “In the SaaS and tech sector, I’m often one of the only women in the room. And being a minority can make it even more intimidating. Vlerick gave me the self-confidence and belief to go into those rooms and know I belong.”

In this video, female participants highlight the MBA programme’s supportive community, diverse perspectives, and the personal growth gained through collaboration and continuous learning.

Empowering the next generation of women leaders

At Vlerick, we believe passionately that diverse workplaces are better for business and society. So every year, we provide scholarships to help more women achieve their potential on an MBA.

Find out more about our MBA scholarships for women > 

Get in touch!

Inge Thienpont

Inge Thienpont

Customer Relationship Manager – European, Executive and Online MBA