Testimonials
"The Wharton Schools esteemed faculty, rigorous coursework, and strong ties to the banking industry were compelling factors in my decision to attend this program, but I was also intrigued by the opportunity to meet other women leaders who represented other industries. The program offers invaluable opportunities for high-achieving women seeking to enhance their leadership skills. It really helped me uncover latent skills that had been dormant for a while, leading to my own personal growth. Following the program, the biggest change I noticed is that it increased my confidence as a female leader."
Nicole D’Souza
Director of Corporate Development, OBG
"Women in business are always compared to the highest-achieving men, never the mediocre ones. I feel like we wear a sort of invisible armor, especially in science where we are so outnumbered. You always have to be the best. I would never share my weaknesses with them. But the first day of Women’s Executive Leadership (WEXL) was like a high school reunion. We shared our challenges, which is something I would never do in another group. We were all very established women from many different industries and disciplines. I’ve always thought of myself as an R&D person — I have been in science for 25 years. But after the first few sessions in the Wharton program, I realized I could grow more. WEXL showed me that I have strengths on the business side. I never thought of myself that way. It really raised the bar on how I view myself and my strengths. I feel very empowered."
Tanya M. Duncan
EVP. Revenue and Strategy, Mass Bankers Association
"[The learning groups] became the space where we could begin to apply what we learned to situations at work, guided by coaches who facilitated the discussion and offered probing questions to help us think more critically and with the new lens of our readings. We identified our strengths and areas for improvement before the program started, which in my group included finding opportunities for public speaking, growing our networks, and being seen as thought leaders in our field. The meeting with my group at the end of each day became a highlight. We really bonded, encouraging each other, nudging each other to step out of our comfort zone into whatever growth area we had identified. We helped each other reframe perceived problems as well as coached each other on how best to position ourselves for opportunities of advancement. We picked up right where we left off and have committed to continue to meet monthly — the Teams recurring calendar holds are in our calendars! Each of us was able to report an improvement that we experienced, and we voiced what we wanted to take on next. This is creating a sense of accountability for me to take action on my goals, with the support and encouragement of strong, inspiring women who shared a similar experience."
Junko Stevens
R&D Senior Director, ThermoFisher Scientific
"I think it has helped me target/focus on some specific areas that I need to work on next. I also have found value in sharing some of my lessons with others within the organization, which brings me joy in being able to share with others — skills that can help them be successful as well. If you are a skeptic like I was about women’s events, I would tell you that this was not that. This was a professional experience. The topics were extremely relevant, and the participants were top notch. There was never an inkling of I’m a woman, I’m naturally picked on but instead content was focused more on a message of why not you? and understanding why women engage the way they do. I loved it!"
Lynn Mertz
Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP
"It is rare to have the opportunity to share with other business women. Women are not a minority, but we often behave like we are. We keep our defenses up and feel the need to prove ourselves all the time. In this program, we were not competing — we were collaborating. From the beginning, it was like being in a group of people that you knew already. The usual competition, the hyper alertness you feel in other programs, wasn’t there. We were able to share personal things, talking about issues we struggle with every day. It wasn’t the main topic of the program, but it was interesting that we could be more open about things that we would not discuss in another environment. I have organized many leadership programs for MBA students both in Chile and overseas, and have also attended many programs. This one was really outstanding. We had some of Wharton’s top faculty with us every day — their energy and commitment to the program was a real bonus."
Danielle Waterworth
Vice President, North America - Dealer and Customer Support, CNH Industrial
"The way the program was structured really kept your attention. The flow of the content was really good. You barely wanted to take a bathroom break for fear of missing something good! The participants were such a great group of women. Although our industries and experience levels were all different, we faced similar challenges at work such as personality issues and silo problems. You felt like everybody was there to learn and listen and was committed to being there. An added bonus is that Wharton has such an amazing reputation, and people are familiar with the program, so it’s going to be good to have it on my résumé."
Paula Broitman
Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
"Wharton’s Women’s Executive Leadership program was a gift to myself; a life-changing experience and totally worth it. The experience is still very near and dear to me. I met so many great people in the program, from South Africa and Saudi Arabia and from all around the world, working in different areas such as teaching, banking, and startups. They are building communities of women leaders within their organizations, which is so powerful when you think about it. The program is already helping me in my career, not just that I have Wharton on my LinkedIn profile, but with my career goals. I’m currently director of engineering within Comcast, aspiring to become a senior leader in this space. How do I get there? I learned about being an adaptive leader and am slowly but surely crafting my role into what I want it to be eventually as I turn into a lifelong student! I would definitely recommend the Women’s Executive Leadership program and have already recommended it to several women at Comcast who don’t know about the course. I would consider taking another Wharton course in the future, maybe the Advanced Management Program ."
Dr. Tami Benton
Vice President of Member Relations, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants
"undefined"
Megan Killian
Director, Software Engineering, Comcast
"undefined"
Kinnera Angadi
