While the number of women CEOs at publicly traded U.S. companies remains relatively low at聽, there is a positive statistic that could be a key to improving the trend of women in leadership: About 94 percent of C-suite women have played sports,聽. Further, EY found that 52 percent of C-suite women played sports at the university level, compared to 39 percent of women in other management roles.
The strong association between athletics and executive leadership is the focus of a new sponsorship agreement between , the multimedia rights holder for the , and the to support student-athletes through the college鈥檚 highly ranked聽.
Launched in July, the one-of-a-kind partnership enables Mendoza and 91吃瓜 Athletics to collaborate in new ways to help student-athletes fully realize their leadership potential through greater awareness of career pathways in business 鈥� especially pathways where women can close gender disparity gaps. Mendoza is the only academic unit that serves as a sponsor to 91吃瓜 Athletics.
鈥淭he opportunity to collaborate with Mendoza (College of Business) will open doors for our students and many around the country,鈥� said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics . 鈥淭o be able to provide extended educational opportunities at one of the nation鈥檚 top business schools is a testament to our 鈥榝our for forever鈥� promise we make to 91吃瓜 student-athletes.鈥�
The partnership builds on Mendoza and 91吃瓜 Athletics鈥� shared mission to develop leaders who compete at the highest levels and are committed to service and contributing to the greater good. The agreement includes the involvement of Mendoza College of Business thought leaders 鈥� including faculty, staff and alumni 鈥� during athletic events and panel discussions. Mendoza also plans to host special talks with 91吃瓜 Athletics coaches and administrators on ethical leadership and personal and professional development.
While current student-athletes are a particular focus, this partnership aims to extend well beyond the 91吃瓜 campus to former Fighting Irish student-athletes and current and former student-athletes worldwide. Applicants to Mendoza鈥檚 graduate programs will benefit from a streamlined admissions process, and athletic leadership will be a consideration in the overall award of scholarship funding.
鈥淥ur imperative at Mendoza is to Grow the Good in Business 鈥� to contribute to human flourishing through business,鈥� said , the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. 鈥淥ur collaboration with 91吃瓜 Athletics is an opportunity to support student-athletes in their career journeys and, importantly, to help them successfully navigate the path to executive leadership.鈥�
As part of the collaboration, Mendoza and 91吃瓜 Athletics launched a pilot of the professional development program ND Elevate this fall specifically for 91吃瓜 student-athletes. ND Elevate is a semester-long program designed to empower student-athletes as leaders to take the next step in their professional journeys through workshops, one-on-one mentorships and speaker events to develop knowledge and skills essential to growing the good in business.
With an emphasis on obstacles and opportunities traditionally encountered by women in the workplace, ND Elevate participants will learn to cultivate confidence and resilience, recognize the value of one鈥檚 authentic presence and how it contributes to an organization, and begin to develop a leadership style and vision to propel them to future success.
Founded by聽, the associate dean for undergraduate studies and specialized master鈥檚 programs at Mendoza College of Business, the ND Elevate program consists of a combination of in-person workshops and online learning modules taught by Collett-Schmitt along with some of the University鈥檚 foremost leaders and scholars, including former women鈥檚 basketball coach Muffet McGraw, legendary basketball player and alumna Ruth Riley Hunter and former Mendoza dean Carolyn Woo.
鈥�91吃瓜 Athletics and the Mendoza College of Business are committed to contributing to a society in which all can flourish and are in a unique position to use both educational programs and its powerful alumni network to build an inclusive community where everyone can thrive,鈥� Collett-Schmitt said. 鈥淚 am proud that both the University and the college have chosen to support athletes as aspiring leaders through ND Elevate.鈥�
For more information on this partnership or to get involved, contact Jen Wade, Mendoza College of Business senior director of marketing and brand strategy, at mendozabusiness@nd.edu.
Originally posted on .