Empowering Women In Business: The Questrom Approach

In a business landscape where women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions—despite comprising 47% of the workforce and 58% of U.S. college enrollment—Boston University’s Questrom School of Business is taking intentional steps to bridge this gap through targeted initiatives, innovative programming, and a comprehensive support network for its female students and alumnae.

Questrom’s commitment to women’s leadership begins from within. Under the guidance of Dean Susan Fournier, the first female Dean in the school’s history, the leadership team boasts strong female representation with women holding 11 out of 19 executive positions. This commitment extends to faculty composition, where women constitute 35% of full-time faculty—ranking in the top ten business schools nationwide in female faculty composition. Boston University’s dedication to diverse leadership extends beyond Questrom’s walls, exemplified by the historic appointment of Dr. Melissa Gilliam in July 2024, making her both the first woman and first Black woman to assume the university presidency in BU’s nearly two-century history.

The student body at Questrom similarly reflects the school’s dedication to enhancing female representation, with several graduate programs boasting over 50% female participation. This impressive representation and the school’s successful efforts in fostering an inclusive learning environment has earned Questrom notable recognition including its 26th place ranking on Bloomberg Businessweek’s Full-time MBA Undergraduate Ranking Diversity Index.

Expanding Impact Through Innovative Programming

Questrom continues to demonstrate its commitment to women’s empowerment through pioneering events that create spaces for meaningful dialogue and action.

This past December, Dean Susan Fournier opened the Boston Business Journal (BBJ)’s Women Who Mean Business event that honors region’s top female leaders. Dean Fournier’s speech highlighted the shared vision of the Questrom School and BBJ in transforming society and creating sustainable value for the world. The Questrom School also served as a proud sponsor of BBJ’s Mentoring Monday event series, connecting women across the business community for professional mentoring. In 2024, Questrom School Associate Professor of Law and Ethics Kabrina Chang and Associate Dean Monica Parker-James served as mentors, providing valuable advice to hundreds of women participating in this nationwide initiative spanning 40 business journal markets.

Over the past year, the Feld Center for Career and Alumni Engagement, Questrom’s career services office, hosted an impactful Women in the Workplace Luncheon, bringing together over 140 participants to discuss findings from global reports on women’s health and workplace empowerment. This event, featuring insights from McKinsey & Company Partner Megan Greenfield, facilitated proactive dialogue on enhancing health and workplace equity. 

Questrom’s partnership with the Forté Foundation, initiated in 2023, further strengthens its commitment to providing women with access to business education, professional development, and a supportive community of successful women. This valuable alliance offers Questrom students and alumnae access to exclusive leadership conferences, networking events, and professional development resources specifically designed for women in business. We are proud of our four Questrom School of Business sophomores who were recently nominated to attend the organization’s College Fast Track to Finance Conference –an invaluable opportunity to explore a multitude of financial careers.  

The Questrom Women in Business Alumni Council: A Cornerstone Initiative

At the heart of Questrom’s efforts to support its female graduates is the newly launched Women in Business (WiB) Alumni Affinity. This dynamic organization, comprising 21 (and still growing) seasoned alumnae across diverse industries, backgrounds, and geographic locations, works to empower the next generation of women business leaders by fostering meaningful connections between students and accomplished alumnae, while creating opportunities for professional growth and lifelong learning.

The Council’s structured approach to supporting women at various career stages demonstrates an understanding that women’s professional development needs evolve throughout their careers. Since launching in December, the WiB Council has held nearly a dozen subcommittee Zoom meetings and bi-monthly Co-Chair working luncheons, thoughtfully organizing its initiatives around the unique needs of women at different life and career stages. 

The early careers subcommittee focuses on providing emerging professionals and recent graduates with opportunities to expand their networks, develop essential skills, and explore potential career paths. This committee recognizes the unique challenges women face when first entering the business world. The mid-careers subcommittee targets established alumni seeking their next professional challenge, providing opportunities for experienced professionals to expand their networks and developing new skills relevant to career advancement and leadership roles. The regional/global engagement subcommittee aims to expand the alumnae network’s impact regionally through events that foster meaningful connections while leveraging these regional relationships to create internship and career pathways for current students across key markets.

The career exploration subcommittee aims to enrich current female students’ professional growth through by carefully curating immersive experiences such as personalized job shadowing and internship connections that provide students firsthand exposure to diverse workplace environments, helping them visualize potential career trajectories.

Recognizing that young women need to see successful examples they can relate to, the Alumni Spotlight Subcommittee was formed to showcase the diverse accomplishments and career paths of successful Questrom graduates. Through engaging profiles and compelling stories, this group aims to highlight how our community members have made meaningful impacts across many different industries. The social media & communications subcommittee amplifies these achievements by managing the Council’s social media presence and crafting compelling content that shares valuable insights and resources for our alumnae community members.

The Council’s mission extends beyond professional development to community service, creating opportunities for meaningful social impact and personal growth. The Council’s sponsorship of flagship campus events like the Women’s MBA Association’s She Leads Conference amplifies the voices of accomplished Questrom women leaders, creating forums for inspiration, knowledge sharing, and relationship building. The Women’s MBA Association itself provides a vital platform for Questrom women pursuing their MBAs, offering career support, guidance, and resources tailored to their unique needs. To learn more about Questrom School’s Women in Business Alumni Council, click here.

Celebrating Success and Looking Forward

Questrom’s initiatives have contributed to an impressive roster of accomplished alumnae breaking barriers in leadership positions globally. Notable examples include former CVS Health CEO & President Karen Lynch (Questrom ’99), who has earned recognition on Forbes’ 2023 Power List; Gina R. Boswell (Questrom ’84), CEO of Bath & Body Works, and Colleen A. Kelly (Questrom ’85), CEO of Concern Worldwide, both recognized on Forbes’ 50 over 50 lists. Within the academic community, Questrom Professor and organizational psychologist Connie Noonan Hadley has been named to the prestigious Thinkers50 radar class of 2024, recognizing her research that shapes the future of organizational management and leadership. In October 2024, Kate Barrand (Questrom ’85) was recognized with BU Distinguished Alumni Award for her dedication to improving the lives of young homeless children through her leadership role at the Horizons for Homeless Children. These success stories represent just a glimpse of the many remarkable achievements that demonstrate the value of a Questrom business education—one distinguished by cutting-edge research and innovation with global perspective, lifelong career support, transformative experiential opportunities, and a vibrant interconnected alumni network that nurtures professional growth at every career stage. 

Questrom’s comprehensive approach to empowering women—combining targeted programming for different career stages, opportunities for meaningful and deeper connection, and championing diversity from the top down—represents a thoughtful evolution in how business schools can better support their alumnae throughout their professional journeys. It reflects an understanding that women’s professional advancement benefits from intentional community-building and targeted support systems.

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Written by Dee Polat, ICF- PCC, (she/her), Director of Alumni Engagement, Questrom School of Business, Boston University.

Dee Polat joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in January 2024 as the Director of Alumni Engagement, bringing with her over a decade of experience in the realm of alumni engagement. Her diverse background spanning 18+ years in higher education encompasses a range of skills, including strategic planning, alumni initiatives, fundraising, industry relations, career services, program and events management, and marketing and CRM expertise.

In her most recent position at California State University, Dee guided students and alumni in their career exploration and development and taught the mandatory career readiness course for freshmen students. In her role as the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement at the University of San Diego, Dee played a pivotal role in launching several innovative initiatives aimed at supporting a community of over 65K alumni including a campuswide mentorship program, an alumni job board, and an engaging webcast series. 

Additionally, she co-led the university’s annual hiring campaign, contributing to its success. In her earlier role as the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement for St. Joseph’s University, Dee managed recent alumni programs and council initiatives, and re-branded and expanded the university’s mentorship and webinar programs for the Brooklyn campus. As a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, Dee also served as an outplacement coach at the global job search assistance firm IMPACT Group, providing personalized guidance to employees in their job search efforts.

Dee’s educational background includes a master’s in public affairs from Indiana University, a master’s in leadership studies from University of San Diego, and a Certificate in Advanced Coaching from New York University. She is a professional certified ICF, CliftonStrengths, and Strong Interest Inventory coach and an MBTI practitioner. In addition to the U.S., Dee has worked and lived in Germany and Turkey, bringing a global perspective to her work in higher education.

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