An important message from Forté’s Executive Director, Elissa Sangster

It’s time again for Forté’s annual MBA Women’s Conference. Each year I look forward to this amazing event because the women in attendance represent a return on the investment of Forté and its partnering schools and companies. It’s the culmination of months or possibly years of introspection, inspiration, and research leading you to the business school of your choice. And while the Forté conference is both a satisfying conclusion of that process it’s the start of yet another journey—your MBA career.

Our conference theme is Breaking Through: Courageous Strategies for Extraordinary Leadership. What makes a remarkable woman business leader? What kind of preparation do you need to lead, make a difference, have an impact? Recently I read The Gender Dividend, a study published by Deloitte, that makes the case for investing in women. That got me thinking about the meaning of the word dividend—a bonus or reward beyond what you were expecting. That’s exactly what we intend for the MBA Women’s Conference to do for you—leave you with something unexpected, something that catapults you above and beyond your competition and inspires you to be an extraordinary leader.

While you can read all about the conference on the website, my goal is to convey to you the genuine importance and extraordinary benefits of joining us. It’s just two days, but the impact will be far reaching. So often women don’t make the time for critical events like this—they seem indulgent or intangible. But the truth is these opportunities to network, build skills, and invest in yourself don’t come along very often. Forté hosts this conference so you can explore career opportunities at companies early on in the MBA cycle. If you’re just beginning the MBA journey, it’s a chance to figure out what career path is right for you. If you’ve finished your first year or recently graduated, you’ll have the chance to network with other MBA women and our great speakers, panelists, and corporate representatives. At the same time, you’ll develop critical leadership skills through our professional development sessions. And finally, you’ll have a head start on other MBAs out there. Very few opportunities like this exist for MBA women. And because you have been admitted into a Forté sponsor school you are exclusively invited to take advantage of this one.

I encourage you to make the time for this important conference and kick off your MBA career in grand style. If you’ve already registered, block your calendars and visit this blog regularly for the latest conference news; and if you haven’t – then make the commitment to be with us!

Elissa Sangster
Executive Director,Forté Foundation