The Women Leaders Development Program was held as part of the activities of the Mauricio Levitin Executive Education Chair, with the aim of promoting the presence of women in senior management positions within organizations.
Leadership Conversations
“Leadership Conversations” was the theme that brought togetherleading women from the business world, faculty members, and alumni of ORT’s Graduate School of Business on Thursday, September 7, at the 40th floor of the WTC, for the closing ceremony of the first edition of the Women Leaders Development Program.
Program participants had the opportunity to interact in small groups, listen to a panel featuring guests from various fields, and take part in a closing reception to build a network of meaningful connections with other female executives.
Among the guests were Sylvia Chebi, co-founder of ThalesLab; Estefanía Cardozo, head of human resources development at Aeropuertos Uruguay, representing the “Women in Aviation, Travel & Tourism” initiative; Carmen Correa, CEO of ProMujer; and Ma. José Blanco, manager at Bolloré Transports & Logistics.
The panel was moderated by Alan Cohn—director of Executive Programs at ORT—and introduced by Magdalena Furtado—representative of UN Women Uruguay—.
The participants included Guillermina Cabrera—chair of Vistage—, Patricia Marques—partner in PwC’s Tax, Legal, and Accounting Advisory and Human Capital practices, and president of Desem Young Entrepreneurs—, Paula Gallotti—co-founder and CEO of DVelop—, and Analía Migues—executive director of Endeavor Uruguay—.
Building a presence
ORT's Graduate School of Business is the first in the country to address this issue within its programs, with a specific initiative designed to promote the presence of women in leadership positions.
To kick off the panel, Magdalena Furtado congratulated ORT on the program, noting that it is a milestone to have a program of this nature.
"It is essential that, in academic careers, women have a space to network, build leadership skills, and break into decision-making positions in Uruguay."
Real-world challenges
Alan Cohn began the conversation with the panelists by asking Guillermina Cabrera what the biggest challenges are for women participating in peer groups, given her perspective as chair of Vistage:
“Women fit right in when they’re part of a group; they really stand up for their place. Obviously, they sometimes face gender bias, but when there’s just one woman in a group, it changes everything because she raises awareness, and that sets an example and fosters collaboration,” Cabrera said.
The IT sector
Cohn asked Paula Gallotti what it means to her to serve on a board composed mostly of men, particularly in the IT sector:
“Whether you’re a man or a woman, serving on a board of directors entails a great deal of responsibility, because you’re constantly making decisions that shape the present and future of the company,” Gallotti explained.
She also stated, “The most important thing about serving on a board is being able to speak out on behalf of women in the industryand raise their profile.”
“My participation in events like today’s, regardless of the audience, helps people see the opportunities available to women, particularly in my industry.”
When asked what advice she would give for dealing with the biggest challenges facing women leaders today, she said:
“The most important thing is training, because it gives us a foundation for how we’re going to tackle problems and what approach we’re going to take to resolve any issues we encounter in our day-to-day work.”
She also emphasized the importance of self-confidence: “For me, this is what holds us back all the time, because we believe we’re less capable than we really are, and it’s something that happens over and over again, in every industry.”
Diversity washing
Cohn invited reflection on whether organizations are engaging in "diversity washing" when it comes to diversity and women in leadership roles, or whether this is a genuine commitment.
Patricia Marqués emphasized that this is a cultural shift, and that certain norms must change for both men and women.
"Sometimes, yes, there are companies that do it because someone tells them they have to, because it’s better for business, or because it looks good—and they don’t really mean it."
Marques was also asked how she views the progress of women in leadership positions within organizations, and she stated that she believes it is on the rise, but that there is still work to be done to achieve full equality.
Starting a business
The moderator asked Analía Migues what biases she sees in the funding of women-led startups:
“The issue of access to financing is a major barrier that has been studied in the context of women’s entrepreneurship. There are cases where two companies apply for financing, and the names of the applicants are removed,” she said.
Migues also noted that only 15% of high-impact Endeavor entrepreneurs worldwide are women. “So there is work to be done regarding role models; empowered women empower others,” she said.
Finally, Ximena Fernández, PhD—academic coordinator of ORT’s Human Resources Programs—concluded the panel by highlighting the program’s objective and its results:
“Building an effective network among women and providing leadership training has been the main goal of this program, and it has been largely achieved thanks to the teachers, speakers, and all the pioneering women who have participated in this initiative.”