EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITORIAL
Content editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@amba-bga.com Head of editorial Colette Doyle c.doyle@amba-bga.com
A FAIRER FUTURE While there are an increasing number of female deans at the helm of business schools around the world, the industry must continue to address elements of inequality to achieve a true balance
Art editor Sam Price
Sub-editor Heather Ford
I n this issue’s Director’s Despatch , our intrepid membership director Victor Hedenberg reflects on how the proportion of female leaders he meets and liaises with has grown from one in six to around one in three over the course of his decade with the organisation. Marking this timely upturn, our cover features showcase the views and experiences of two female deans. At IÉSEG School of Management in France, Caroline Roussel tells us about her school’s duty of care towards inclusion and guidance, as well as the importance of being flexible enough to enable and support students in their personal journeys. We also learn how women are seizing opportunities in emerging sectors to play an integral role in the Arab world’s economic growth from Rana Sobh, dean at Qatar University College of Business and Economics. Sobh also enthuses about her ability to “push boundaries, explore new territories, solve complex problems and contribute to a greater purpose.” Elsewhere, another female dean, Dilbar Gimranova at the School of Economics and Management at Narxoz University, joins Maxim Romanov in recounting the institution’s journey of transformation under her leadership, as part of efforts to reshape Kazakhstan’s educational landscape and widen access. For all the power of these examples of women at the helm, female leaders remain
Insight, content & PR manager Ellen Buchan e.buchan@amba-bga.com CORPORATE Membership director Victor Hedenberg v.hedenberg@amba-bga.com Head of membership Debbie Kemp d.kemp@amba-bga.com
a minority in business leadership and the management education industry is no different in this respect. The gradual progression in proportion is rightly encouraged, but true equality remains a long way off for many, especially when you factor in the continuing gender pay gap and pervasive elements of subconscious bias. One problem relates to how women in the workplace are made to feel, with the phenomenon of imposter syndrome a common occurrence. While this is often linked to shortcomings in confidence, our guest columnist Sheena Yap Chan says that it is merely a logical response to a system that is broken, underlining the need to rethink definitions of leadership. “Confidence grows when we’re seen, supported and encouraged, especially by people who understand our journey,” she writes. In this, nurturing inclusive and supportive communities at business school appears key. It’s fascinating, then, to find out how gender equality feeds into the current practices and initiatives of BGA member schools in different country contexts as part of their approach to DEI. Schools in South Africa, Chile, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Spain and Peru all feature in the latest instalment of our Perspectives series.
BGA accreditation manager Richard Turner r.turner@amba-bga.com Senior marketing executive – digital lead Shareen Pennington s.pennington@amba-bga.com Membership administrator Georgia Herbert g.herbert@amba-bga.com Commercial relations director Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@amba-bga.com
Head of marketing & communications Leonora Clement l.clement@amba-bga.com Finance & commercial director Catherine Walke r
Director of accreditation & director of BGA services Mark Stoddard
Tim Banerjee Dhoul Editor , Business Impact
Chief executive officer Andrew Main Wilson GENERAL ENQUIRIES bga-membership@amba-bga.com
Copyright 2025 by The Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association . All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, BGA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of BGA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. BGA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
Business Impact • ISSUE 3 • 2025 5
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online