10/01/2025
Carmen de Diego, a graduate of the Global Executive MBA, is setting herself up for C-suite success.
Today’s C-suite boardrooms are a far cry from the male-dominated spaces of the twentieth century. But in 2024, women still make up only 29% of senior leadership roles, according to McKinsey, and only 10% of Fortune 500 companies are headed by women CEOs. Despite facing unique challenges, female executives are scaling the corporate ladder faster than ever. The Global Executive MBA is becoming more popular with these professionals, providing a career-building experience that meets women leaders’ specific needs. Let’s take a look at the challenges being overcome to improve the executive presence for women in top boardrooms.
Then and now: why isn’t the C-suite more diverse?
Labor markets have completely transformed since the heyday of the corporate boom at the start of the 20th century. From companies to governments and third-sector organizations, women are making their presence felt in executive leadership—and generating immense value and impact along the way.
However, certain conscious and unconscious biases still make it harder for high-potential female talent to access top management positions. Outdated gender roles also reinforce the glass ceiling, a unique barrier hindering upward mobility to leadership for women in many parts of the world.
But the tides are turning, and initiatives like International Women’s Day are moving the needle on gender equality issues on a broad scale. Similarly, our Global Executive MBA is at the forefront of educating up-and-coming women executives, board members and CEOs.
Designed for flexibility
The tricky part for most high-level women leaders is handling multiple responsibilities at work, at home and even socially. This was certainly the case for Carmen de Diego, a business development director, when she joined the program. “It is not easy,” she states.
Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Carmen and dove deeper into her experience.
What motivated you to choose the Global Executive MBA?
“I valued the prestige of the institution. Being from Segovia, one could think I’m biased, but it’s a fact that IE University is highly rated in all the international rankings. I had already looked into similar programs in Europe, the UK and the US, but three aspects tipped the scales for me: the Global Executive MBA is not a purely academic program offering, participants have over 15 to 20 years of work experience, which means centuries of experience in cooperating, and the diversity is astonishing.”
With your schedule, why did it make sense to get back to learning?
“I don’t like stereotypes, but there is something that I find common in women: we care too much about finding the right time to do certain things. But there is never a perfect time to take on extra work; the ‘why’ is more important than the ‘when’ in this case. Focusing on the outcome and what you want to achieve—seeing what you have to gain—will make the effort worth it. Don’t wait for the right time, because I don’t think there is such a thing for an MBA.”
How do you balance your studies with your professional and personal responsibilities?
“That is the most challenging part. But planning, time management, prioritization, delegation and communication are paramount and make things easier. For me, it’s about enjoying the experience, keeping a positive attitude and not surrendering to stress. I have to thank my cohort for that. I could not have been luckier with my ‘classmates’, a group of bright and intelligent professionals who share a can-do attitude.”
Empowering women leaders: boosting executive presence for women
Luckily, the Global Executive MBA is highly flexible, with carefully crafted features that make healthy work-life balance an attainable goal for rising stars like Carmen:
Blended format: The program follows our innovative learning approach, which combines online learning with one-week, in-person residential periods in Madrid, Oxford, Singapore and Los Angeles.
Part-time schedule: The ability to study part-time means participants can continue making progress in their careers, improve performance in real-time, keep up with family commitments and cultivate a vibrant social life.
Global perspective: In the program, participants average 15-plus years of leadership experience and represent over 18 nationalities. This brings in a spectrum of insights and ideas that broaden perspectives.
Diverse network: Our powerful global network comprises IE Alumni, faculty and industry partners ready to accelerate participants’ career development.
And our methodology works. Since joining the program, Carmen admits that her career has transformed significantly. “I have more departments reporting to me and I’m part of the Board,” she states. “I see how I add value to board meetings, which is fulfilling.”
Diversity and inclusion in the Global Executive MBA
Currently, 44% of program participants are women. We’ve also raised the number of women at IE University faculty to 41% as of 2022. They’re thriving in a program designed to fit seamlessly into the busy schedules of senior managers and executives. With the next International Women’s Day approaching fast, we at IE University are doing our part to ‘Accelerate Action’ through IE Foundation-funded scholarships, corporate sponsorship and other financial aid options. In this way, we’re fostering a theme that will get more women into the Global Executive MBA classroom and boardrooms worldwide.
