With fewer women than men leading in the professional world, the W. P. Carey School of Business stands out as a model for the industry's future, with women making up the majority of senior leadership.
W.P. Carey School of Business Dean Amy J. Hillman. Hillman, who became dean on March 1, 2013, headlines the
school's strong list of women leaders. (Photo Courtesy of Amy
Hillman/W.P. Carey)
ASU is one of six schools in the nation lead by a female dean. W. P. Carey Dean Amy Hillman said the school's female senior leadership provides students and staff with a new perspective on the business world.
“Female faculty are in very small numbers in most business schools,” Hillman said in an email. “When you're an ‘exception’ and not the rule, you are perceived differently. My way of dealing with this has always been to work hard and focus on delivering real results.”
Hillman’s focus on delivering positive results has maintained a successful model for the business school. W. P. Carey boasts a top-ranking online graduate program as well as a No. 5 recruiter preference ranking by the Wall Street Journal.
The school’s success speaks not only for the future of business, but also for the next generation’s leading women.
“When women see themselves at the front of the classroom, at the top of their division or at the top of their organization, it sends a signal about their opportunities,” Hillman said. “The signal is that they, too, can succeed.”
Ajay Vinze, assistant dean for International Partnerships and Programs at W. P. Carey, works with female members of the senior leadership. He said he finds no professional difference in a workplace of women.
“I never thought of it like that," Vinze said. "We just have the best people available in our leadership positions. If they’re male, great. If they’re female, wonderful. There should be absolutely zero bias.”
Beth Walker is the acting chair of the Department of Marketing at the W.P. Carey School of Business. The W.P.
Carey School is one of six business schools in the nation led
by a female dean. (Photo Courtesy of Beth Walker/W.P. Carey)
Although unconventional in the business realm, the administration’s system feels natural to those involved, said Beth Walker, chair-holder of Carey’s department of marketing.
“You don’t lean back and think about this every day in terms of leadership in the school, but I think we’re very unique," Walker said. "I’m very encouraged that there are so many female leadership positions, because it says to everyone else that this is possible, and to the students that this is possible."
While women have set a precedent for female leadership at the Carey school, the success of the next generation’s businesswomen remains in focus as the college maintains a male-to-female undergraduate ratio of 59.5-to-40.5 and a graduate ratio of 67.3-to-32.7.
“I hope that we can attract more women to our MBA programs,” Walker said. “I hope that women … pursue other roles as well as other programs, which are more male-dominated, so that they have more possibilities as they go forward in the business world.”
Tools with which to move forward in the business are offered through courses that feature topics such as “Women, Power and Leadership” or “Women in Leadership Today” and events that support female leadership outside the classroom.
On Jan. 24, the school will host a young women in leadership workshop, featuring a keynote speaker and panels of women leaders, W. P. Carey Senior Associate Dean Kay Faris said.
“It’ll really be an opportunity for women to interact with and hear from and learn from others who have gone before them,” Faris said.
The women of W.P. Carey encourage students to pursue their career goals regardless of gender, she said.
“I hope for success for all of our students,” Faris said. “I truly believe that our graduates are the leaders of the next generation and my wish would be that (gender) won’t even be a discussion point –– that we reach a point in time where it’s not even a question that needs to be asked.”
Reach the reporter at aplante@asu.edu or follow @aimeenplante on Twitter
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
