10 Years, 1 Celebration, 1 Magazine. Women Back to Business: A Success Story

Taking a career break often results in difficulties reentering the workforce later on. This is especially true among women who take a break to care for their families. This was an impetus for Gudrun Sander, adjunct professor at the University of St. Gallen, to launch an executive education programme in management especially for women, the «Women Back to Business» (WBB) programme.

What makes this programme so special? Besides receiving a management update, women also benefit from skills workshops and coaching sessions that help them prepare for job interviews and job market reentry. In the first year, the St. Galler Kantonalbank supported programme participants with five scholarships. This was a breakthrough for the programme. Since then, other companies have joined in as well (e.g. Novartis, UBS, Swisscom, and the Federal Office of Personnel) and continue to offer scholarships as well as internships.

This success story has been 10 years in the making. Last Friday, the Women Back to Business team celebrated the programme’s 10th anniversary together with current participants, alumnae, employees of the University of St. Gallen, lecturers, and representatives from partner companies. «This programme has enormous potential», Caroline Müller-Möhl noted during her keynote speech. The Müller-Möhl Foundation supports the WBB programme as well.

An anniversary magazine was also published that features success stories, entertaining facts about the Women Back to Business programme as well as interesting articles about relaunching one’s career. Order your free copy of the magazine here.

Additionally, a short film was created, featuring statements from our partner companies and from alumnae.

Photo: 14. September 2018,  WBB anniversary, Graduates