More Women at the Top: WHU Supports the “Women into Leadership” Initiative

Women remain significantly underrepresented in executive positions in Germany: according to Destatis, the share of women in leadership roles in 2024 was just 29.1 percent—well below the EU average of 35.2 percent. Given the steadily increasing number of female graduates, these figures point to a persistent problem—the so-called “leaky pipeline,” where women drop out at higher levels of the career ladder. For many years, WHU–Otto Beisheim School of Management has been committed to increasing the number of women in leadership roles, including through its involvement in the “Women into Leadership” (IWiL) initiative, which supports women on their path to top management positions through targeted mentoring and networking opportunities.

“A strong match can shape careers, open doors, and help individuals unlock their full potential,” explains Klaudia Wilde, Director of Development & Relationship Management at WHU and a member of the IWiL Matching Committee. With the kick-off event for the new IWiL cohort on March 20 in Düsseldorf—featuring WHU student Jesica Hoker (EMBA 2027)—the initiative has entered a new round, once again supported by the WHU network: Professor Fabiola Gerpott, Chair of Leadership and Organization at WHU, serves as a mentor in the program, as does WHU alumna Vera Weiss (Class of 1990). “If we want to see more women in leadership positions, we need targeted support and strong networks. Cross-mentoring programs like IWiL make an important contribution here,” she says. “In our WHU programs, we consistently see that leadership effectiveness depends on skills—not gender.”

Founded in 2017 by WHU alumna Sabine Hansen (EMBA 2002) and Natalie Daghles, IWiL has since evolved from a regional initiative into a Europe-wide network. Women in leadership can take part in a one-year cross-mentoring program, where they learn from and are coached by experienced executives. With around 30 to 40 participants each year, a growing international network, and formats such as the “Triangle Talk,” which brings together companies, mentees, and mentors, IWiL helps women refine their career goals and actively shape their next step toward leadership responsibility.

Hanan Hallal: “IWiL Was a Meaningful Experience for Me”

WHU alumna Hanan Hallal (EMBA 2026) has just successfully completed the program. With many years of international experience in finance—including serving as CFO of Henkel in Syria—she used IWiL specifically to prepare for her next career move. “In retrospect, IWiL has been a truly meaningful and transformative experience for me,” she says. “The mentoring in particular helped me further develop my leadership and communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of stakeholders.”

Over the course of a year, Hanan Hallal was mentored by Tine Snels. Their regular conversations focused on topics such as leadership, stakeholder management, and strategic positioning. The mentoring relationship was built on trust, openness, and clearly defined development goals. “That made the exchange especially impactful and inspiring for me,” Hallal adds. She is already applying what she has learned—particularly with a view to her goal of taking on a supervisory board role in the future.