Female Leadership Academy
On April 1, Mannheim Business School at the University of Mannheim launches the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy (MFLA). With this new excellence program, Mannheim Business School aims to further support high-achieving female master’s students and prepare them for future leadership roles in business and society.
“With the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy, we are sending a clear signal: we want to support outstanding female students at an early stage, prepare them for demanding leadership roles, and accompany them over the long term, says Joachim Lutz, Dean and President of Mannheim Business School. “In doing so, Mannheim Business School combines academic excellence with strong practical relevance.”
The program offers a combination of academic courses, skills training, exclusive dialogue formats with female leaders, company visits, as well as networking and career development opportunities. The goal is to strengthen talented women in their academic, strategic, and personal development and to provide them with early access to relevant professional networks and role models.
“Research clearly shows that women advance more quickly when they have female role models, access to relevant networks, and targeted support in developing their leadership skills,” says Professor Dr. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi, Academic Director of the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy and Chair of Corporate Governance. “With the MFLA, we aim to create a program grounded in scientific evidence that prepares our female students for leadership responsibilities and addresses the structural barriers that continue to hinder women’s access to leadership positions.”
The MFLA is aimed at high-achieving female students in the Mannheim Master in Management, Mannheim Master in Finance, Accounting and Taxation, and Mannheim Master in Operations and Supply Chain Management programs. Applications are possible by personal invitation only. The first cohort of the MFLA is scheduled to start on September 1, 2026. In the long term, the Academy is intended to build a growing network that connects students and alumnae beyond graduation and supports them throughout their professional careers.