Company and Executive Women Worth Watching ® 2013 Award Winner
Beatrix
Dart
I
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
“Investing in BUSINESS education is one of the most
important steps a woman can take to advance her career.”
BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN BUSINESS EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS A WOMAN CAN TAKE TO ADVANCE HER CAREER. When I joined the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, it struck me that MBA programs were achieving only half of the female enrollment seen by other graduate programs such as law and medicine. And no surprise, this leads to fewer women in senior leadership roles in business. In response, I co-created the first Initiative for Women in Business at a Canadian business school to reduce the barriers that impede women’s advancement. Some examples include: Barrier 1: Cultural Norms North American culture values the “stay-at-home-mom” concept, where the woman sacrifices her career advancement for the family good. Even for women returning to the workforce after having a baby, there is a financial “motherhood gap” HEADQUARTERS: which gets bigger with every Toronto, Canada maternity leave they take. WEBSITE: Solution: Programs, www.rotman.utoronto.ca such as our Back to BUSINESS: Work program, help Higher education bridge the gap for women who have EMPLOYEES: 346 taken an absence from TITLE: Associate Dean, the workplace and Executive Degree Programs/ Executive Director, Initiative for Women in Business/Professor of Strategic Management EDUCATION:
Dipl. Vw., Dipl. Inf.wiss., PhD, University of Konstanz, Germany FIRST JOB:
Research Assistant MY PHILOSOPHY:
Enjoy life—it is too short. FAMILY:
Married with two kids
offer free childcare for participants. Barrier 2: Industry Norms Some of the most coveted jobs for MBA students are in finance and consulting, which are known for “extreme jobs” (characterized by high compensation for long working hours). These jobs can be very satisfying, if that is where your ambitions lie, but for women with families it can be difficult to advance at the same pace as men. Solution: The Women Initiative consults with companies on gender issues and the benefits of flexible working arrangements for all employees to help create a smoother path forward for women in business. Barrier 3: Stereotypes and Biases Of all barriers, this is the most pervasive and most difficult to overcome. The perceptions we carry about the abilities and potential of men and women ultimately create invisible barriers to women’s advancement in business. Solution: Understanding and being honest with ourselves about the biases we each carry can help us recognize when they are standing in the way of a decision that is best for our company. At Rotman, we host speakers and workshops that address unconscious biases so we can change the way leaders identify high potential employees. I believe that true advancement for women can only be achieved by tackling these barriers simultaneously, and that this will create positive change in the business landscape for men and women alike.
› How has your education affected your career? My PhD opened doors to be hired by a management consulting firm, McKinsey & Co., which turned out to be another terrific learning opportunity. ›
Is there an educator who had a profound impact on your career and/or life? If so, what did they do to motivate you? My Latin teacher in high school motivated me to think broadly about society, and showed how empathy and tolerance are important factors to humanity.
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How do you balance career and lifestyle/ home responsibilities? I believe in work/ home integration rather than the ever-elusive balance! Having domestic help and technology that allows us to check in with work while we are with our family helps us find better integration. September/October 2012
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