“Strong Women – Strong Leadership”: Mannheim Female Leadership Academy Officially Launched
The MFLA is a new program offered by the University of Mannheim’s Business School, designed to specifically prepare high-achieving female students enrolled in master’s programmes for future leadership roles in business and society. Academic courses, leadership and skills training, meetings with female leaders, company visits, and networking combine academic excellence with practical leadership development.
“With the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy, we aim to prepare women for leadership positions and empower them to help shape the places where decisions are made. Only when a society makes use of the full potential of all its talent can we achieve the best possible outcomes,” says Prof. Dr. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi, Academic Director of the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy.
The event opened with welcoming addresses by University Rector Prof. Dr. Thomas Fetzer, the Academy’s patron, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Skilled Crafts and Tourism of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and Joachim Lutz, Dean and President of Mannheim Business School. This was followed by a keynote address delivered by Monika Schulz-Strelow, founding president and honorary chairwoman of FidAR – Women on Supervisory Boards.
A particular highlight of the event was the presentation of the Julie Bassermann Prize, organised in cooperation with the City of Mannheim. The prize recognises innovative business administration research that addresses the gender gap in the context of women in leadership positions and explores potential measures to reduce it. The award thus links the MFLA’s objectives with the City of Mannheim’s commitment to gender equality.
Following welcoming remarks by Mayor Christian Specht, the prize was presented by Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut.
The program concluded with a high-profile panel discussion on women in leadership positions. The panel featured Claudia Guterl, member of the Executive Board of Lidl International; Katja Lammert, former Executive Board Member and CIO of MEAG AMG; and Daniela Mattheus, supervisory board member at, among others, Commerzbank AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and Jenoptik AG. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi, Academic Director of the MFLA.
“Women in leadership are no longer merely a vision; they are a decisive factor in ensuring the future viability of our economy. This is precisely where the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy comes in. It provides young women with what they need to advance their careers: knowledge, leadership skills, strong role models and a genuine network. I hope that the participants will pursue their paths with courage. We need more women in leadership positions—for equal opportunities in practice and genuine progress. Diversity fuels innovation and thus becomes a competitive advantage for our companies,” says Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Skilled Crafts and Tourism and patron of the Mannheim Female Leadership Academy.
During the networking reception that followed, participants, speakers and guests took the opportunity to exchange ideas and make new connections.