In February of last year, Cathy Engelbert was named Chief Executive Officer of the multinational accounting firm Deloitte Ltd. She has since led the company to a record high revenue of $35.2 billion, and helped it expand to employ 225,400 people worldwide. She is also the first and only woman to ever become CEO at any of the world’s ‘Big Five’ business firms.
Research by the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows that women make up only 16.5 percent of leadership roles in business, finance, and economics. Despite big wins for equality in education, healthcare, and politics, WEF finds that gender disparity is still a major global issue in these industries – creating what they call a “glass ceiling” or “leadership gap.”
How can we fix it? Women in business! If you’re motivated, passionate, and poised to begin an undergraduate degree, the fields of finance and economics await you in top international universities like John Cabot University (JCU). According to Forte business executive Elissa Sangster, getting more women and women-supporting students in world-class business programs is a “key way to solve the problem at the top."
Read on to learn why earning your Bachelor’s Degree in Italy can help you break the business world’s glass ceiling.
Rome is not only the political capital of Italy, it's also a key center of business. With the diverse business and cultural atmosphere, you'll have myriad opportunities to learn more than just business basics. According to Cathy Engelbert herself, “raising your hand,” taking chances, meeting new people, and learning new things greatly boosts your chances of achieving business success. “I raised my hand and said I wanted to do different things,” she said, “and that opened a whole new door of networks for me that I never would have had.”
When you study economics in Rome, you'll discover opportunities you never even knew existed. Whether it’s practicing a second language with new friends from around the world, interning at a multinational NGO, or discovering firsthand how art gets bought and sold, Rome offers plenty of ways for you to diversify your skill set.
To succeed in business leadership, you need a sense of self-assurance that women are often taught to avoid for fear of being perceived as bossy or emotional.
“Now that I’m the CEO, I see it,” explains Engelbert. “I see men come into my door, and women come into my door. It is really different.”
Self-promotion or self-advocacy involves speaking up for yourself, ensuring your ideas are heard, and showing employers and coworkers that you are confident in your own skills and abilities.
When you study business at one of the top English language universities in Italy, you’ll become part of a close-knit and supportive community of peers from diverse cultural backgrounds. With fun campus events and small class sizes, you’ll gain confidence in speaking to all kinds of people – and the world-wise experience to back up what you have to say.
As a business hub, Rome has a range of potential mentors who will guide you on your way to success. For example, JCU’s Institute for Entrepreneurship hosts events and initiatives connecting its students with leaders of Rome’s business scene, and many of the finance and economics faculty members themselves are passionate, successful, and experienced businesspeople.
Whether you’re inspired by a guest speaker, an alumni member, a professor, or even the city’s famously spectacular landscape, Rome can help you take your first confident steps toward career success.
Would you like to study finance in Italy?
Visit JCU to learn more about getting started.