Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme Testimonials

Women in business are a driving force in the global economy. In the U.S. in 2020, women started 1,821 new businesses every day.¹ The perception of female leadership is changing. To succeed in business, professional women now have a unique opportunity – not just to lead, but to do so in a way that suits them, rather than merely emulating their male counterparts. There’s a growing recognition that many traits and competencies often considered innately feminine – such as empathy, self-awareness, and compassion – are effective in guiding motivated teams and making smart and considered organisational decisions.

The six-week online Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford invites current and aspiring female leaders to join a global network of peers honing their professional toolkit. Learn to leverage your personal leadership strengths with guidance from industry experts and forge ahead as a strong and confident leader, empowered to enable the next generation to succeed.

Become inspired with the skills to:

Join a network of female business leaders who have already had the opportunity to study online with the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme. Here’s what past participants thought of the programme:

 

Amy Dearing
Head of Marketing and Digital, Havens Hospices

“This leadership programme has tested and challenged my thinking like no other course I have participated in. The content is insightful, designed to provoke thought and reflection. My understanding of the different elements of leadership, and how women can adapt the techniques traditionally dominated by males, has been vastly enhanced thanks to this programme. I feel confident in immediately applying this in my own context.”

 

Andrea Mayer
Location Head Munich, Kaiser X Labs (A company of Allianz)

“The programme has been invaluable in terms of building my confidence as a leader, as well as giving me the right tools to perform better. At this moment in my career, this has been exactly what I needed. I am particularly impressed by how much insight into the topic of women’s leadership this course has been built on: I caught myself often going through the modules, thinking “Exactly, this is such a struggle for me at the moment” and knowing that not only I am facing these challenges, but also having tools to help, made me a substantially stronger leader.”

 

Diane Chang
Executive Director, DBS Bank Singapore

“The course affirms some of the thinking that I have often had but was unable to pin down the fundamentals in a structured manner, such as the style of negotiations and power of influence. I found the content and some of the modules helped to frame our thinking and steer us towards our next milestones.”

 

Doris Ann Varghese
Master of Public Policy student, Monash University, Australia

“The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford provided me with an excellent platform not only to learn many new aspects but also for an in-depth self-analysis and a new sense of self-awareness. Over the six weeks, this intense programme took me for a wonderful ride to visualise how my leadership journey has evolved over the years, and how I am going to evolve further to achieve the purpose of my life. I am looking forward to practically applying all these lessons in both my professional and personal life to become a well-refined and assertive leader.”

 

Gina Izumi
Senior Vice President of Sales, Growth Markets, SAP

“It’s not often you get the opportunity to step back and reflect on your personal development, goals, and aspirations. This programme provided a lot of insights, theories, and great examples of women leaders that you can learn from. The assignments really challenge you to become more self-aware and they stretch you to build actionable plans to achieve career aspirations. I strongly recommend anyone interested in ‘breaking the glass ceiling’ to invest the time in this programme.”

 

Jayelee Grady
Program Manager, Youth, Mental Health and Addictions, Health PEI

“Though the content and delivery were very well done, the interaction with the tutors and other women around the world was a highlight of the course for me. Not only was it informative and interesting, but it validated my own experiences in various leadership roles. My awareness, insight, and understanding of my own strengths increased substantially and I find myself motivated to continue my journey. I am so appreciative of the time and energy the staff have put into this programme!”

 

Jessica Rodriguez
Implementation Director, Epic

“I was driven to take this programme due to feeling a lack of direction and growth, and because I wasn’t sure how to navigate a path forward on my own. It has given me back my spark. I now have [the] knowledge and actionable takeaways in several key areas, including leadership, power/influence, negotiation, and personal development planning, that have enabled me to define my future learning and career path. I’m excited to see what the future will bring!”

 

Kim Cassar Torreggiani
Associate Vice President Advancement and CEO, TRU Foundation

“The programme work was applicable and I have already been able to implement strategies learned. Understanding that women have innate abilities that make them strong leaders and that we should use these strong points to our advantage was a key takeaway for me. We are at the beginning of a change, and being grounded in your leadership style will improve your career opportunities.”

 

Lindiwe Zungu
Executive Dean, Graduate Studies, University of South Africa

“This online programme was carefully designed to benefit both current and aspiring women leaders, across all industries and business functions. The programme offered me, as a woman in leadership, an ideal platform to build on my critical leadership and management skills to grow within the workplace and successfully navigate the challenges and gender biases facing female leaders today. The programme has made me strongly urge those aspiring women, who are aiming to challenge the notion of male dominance in executive leadership levels and want to overcome workplace barriers and break through the glass ceiling, to take up the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme – for the sake of both their careers and that of their organisations, as well their respective countries. There is no doubt in my mind that they will immensely benefit from such development training, and will strengthen their leadership skills to immensely benefit their organisations, as the programme has done for me.”

 

Melissa Nealon
Account Director, Aerospace and Defence, Splunk

“I felt stuck in my career without focus or understanding of where to take my career. This programme helped fine-tune my career trajectory and development and led me to think more about the skills and experience needed to get to my goals. While taking this programme, I asked my leadership for a raise and promotion. I used the skills I developed to help shape my negotiations, my approach and an understanding of everyone’s context to get my way. And it worked!”

 

Claire Melia-Tompkins
Senior Manager Stakeholder Communications, London South Bank University

“I found the online learning environment very well-organised and easy to navigate. It made completing the activities and tasks easy to do and logical. The modules covered all the main themes, and there is a good blend of theory with practical examples and testimony from women leaders and other experts on the topic areas. The tutors assigned to us were very helpful, supportive, and explained anything we asked. It has been great to connect with other women leaders from all over the world and in different industries, and to discuss our experiences on the forums. I felt it was a real community, and we really helped each other with the challenges we face in our respective organisations.”

 

Aurora Ailincai
Executive Director of the Council of Europe Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, Council of Europe

“The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme is a very complete, interesting course for any woman who wants to have a better understanding of the concept of leadership and gender dimensions in leadership. The modules are very well-weighted and can be followed by women who work full-time. The online support is very efficient. Today I feel equipped as a leader, with knowledge and tools, and most importantly, as a female leader, with increased self-awareness and self-confidence. This programme was an additional confirmation that lifelong learning is key for effective leadership and self-confidence. I think that after this programme I have much more to give back and build around me, and I am satisfied with the time invested in this learning exercise. I feel energised and motivated for new challenges.”

Realise your leadership potential with the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme

Looking to prepare for a leadership role in the future? Harness your potential to rise to the top. The Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford gives you the room to review, scrutinise, recognise, and grow your leadership style with the support of a group of dynamic and experienced women.

Underpinned by attributes of self-acceptance, self-management, and self-development, walk away equipped with the skills and confidence to broaden your impact and realise your full potential as a leader.

Upon successful completion of this programme, you’ll gain access to the official Oxford Executive Education Alumni group on LinkedIn,* and connect with global thought leaders and experts who are focused on advancing their career, much like yourself.

*Access to this group will only be granted following your successful completion and passing of the programme.

Register now and discover your authentic and most impactful leadership style.