How women are transforming business through the KU online MBA

The landscape of business leadership is evolving, and women are at the forefront of this transformation. A recent panel discussion featuring accomplished female alumni and leaders from the University of Kansas online MBA revealed powerful insights about women's growing influence in the business world and how education serves as a catalyst for their success.

The current state of women in business: Progress amid persistent challenges

The statistics paint a complex picture of women's advancement in business. While women now hold 11% of Fortune 500 CEO roles¹ and 29% of C-suite positions,² and have founded 49% of new businesses,³ significant gaps remain. As one panelist noted, "women hold only 30.6% of leadership roles globally."⁴

However, the data also reveals women's exceptional leadership capabilities. Research shows that women score higher than men in most critical leadership competencies, including initiative, resilience, honesty, and collaboration.⁵

Dee Steinle: Championing women's success in graduate business education

At the heart of KU's commitment to supporting women in business is Dee Steinle, Executive Director of MBA and M.S. Programs. With 30 years at KU and over two decades dedicated to the MBA program, Steinle has witnessed firsthand the evolution of women's participation in business education.

"What I love to see is just women being endlessly creative, endlessly resourceful, as I always expect them to be," Steinle shared during the panel. Her observations reveal a trend toward entrepreneurship among female MBA graduates: "I am seeing a lot of women want to do things on their own and do their own business or work for a smaller company, and it seems to help some with that quality of life."

Under Steinle's leadership, the KU online MBA program has grown to over 500 students, with the flexibility of online learning particularly appealing to women balancing career and family responsibilities. "The online MBA program has turned out to be a really good place for women to get their MBA if they are working or are engaged with family things that give them a little bit more flexibility," she explained.

Steinle's commitment extends beyond program management to personal mentorship. Drawing from her own experiences navigating career challenges while raising children, she now ensures her team has the support she once needed: "As a manager of several women now, I make it a point—it's my duty to make that a much easier path for them with their kids."

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Diverse paths to success: Alumni and student experiences

The panel featured remarkable women whose diverse career journeys illustrate the transformative power of advanced business education. Kate Favrow, Director of Brand Marketing at Associated Wholesale Grocers and a 2011 KU MBA graduate, exemplifies strategic career advancement. Starting as a teenager filing papers in the company's legal department, she leveraged her MBA education to create entirely new roles within her organization.

"I've had five roles that nobody has held before me. All of the roles that I've had have been created," Favrow shared, highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit that education can unlock.

Current student Keri Camiliere brings a unique perspective as a Lead Facilities Project Manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Her journey from exercise science to interior design to construction project management demonstrates the MBA's power to open new career pathways. "I love KU. I was born in Wichita, Kansas, and I've been a lifelong Jayhawk fan," she said, adding that the program's flexibility allows her to balance demanding professional responsibilities with motherhood.

The Power of Networks and Mentorship

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the critical importance of building strong professional networks. Steinle emphasized this as fundamental to the KU experience: "We have over a thousand students that have graduated from this program... we have a lot of people who carry this, and a lot of people who, if you get to know, are probably going to be a wonderful part of your professional network."

The panelists consistently credited their networks with career advancement opportunities, reinforcing research showing the outsized impact of peer connections for women's professional growth. Women have been found to have unique networks that help them achieve more. Research into the difference between the types of networks that help new male and female MBAs land executive leadership positions illustrates this:⁶

We found that men benefit not so much from size of network but from being central in the MBA student network—or connected to multiple “hubs”, or people who have a lot of contacts across different groups of students.

Women benefited in terms of post-MBA job placement from being central in the network too; but to achieve the executive positions with the highest levels of authority and pay they also had to have an inner circle of close female contacts, despite having similar qualifications to men including education and work experience.

Nicole Mammoser, a 2022 KU online MBA graduate now working as a supply chain strategist for pharmaceutical company AbbVie, reflected on these realities: "The organizations that I have been in the last eight or nine years have been strongly female-led, which has allowed me to build a network of colleagues and mentors that are within the industry and are female."

Mammoser offered practical advice for online students: "When you have someone that offers a group project, or you find a classmate that you work well with, reach out to them and get to know them."

Breaking barriers and setting boundaries

The conversation revealed both the obstacles women face and the strategies they employ to overcome them. Working in male-dominated industries, several panelists emphasized the importance of self-advocacy and boundary-setting.

Camiliere, often the only woman on construction job sites, advised, “Always pave your own way. It sounds super cliche, but just fight for yourself. You might be the only female in the room. You might be the least educated in the room. You might not have a clue what the room is talking about, but you're in the room, and so if you've gotten in the room, you have a seat at the table. You've earned it. So fight for yourself.”

Favrow stressed the importance of establishing boundaries early in one's career: “I don't answer emails after 5 o'clock. That's my own personal choice…When I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation. When it's time to eat lunch, I'm eating lunch. Those things are going to keep you sane and able to do the other things that are important to you and are important to the business. You need to recharge and you need to be able to think clearly and you need to be well rested. All of those boundaries are super important, and don't be afraid to set them and have confidence that if you do set them and somebody doesn't respect that boundary, then the culture of that organization is not the one for you.”

Looking forward: Education as empowerment

The University of Kansas School of Business, under leaders like Dee Steinle, continues to evolve its programs to meet the changing needs of women in business. The addition of entrepreneurship courses and certificates reflects recognition of women's growing interest in creating their own professional paths.

As these accomplished women demonstrated, the combination of quality education, strong networks, and personal resilience creates a powerful foundation for success. Their stories serve as both inspiration and roadmaps for the next generation of women business leaders.

The path forward requires continued commitment to supporting women's advancement through flexible, high-quality educational programs and fostering environments where women can build the networks and skills necessary to shatter remaining barriers. With leaders like Steinle championing these efforts and programs that rank among the nation's top online MBA offerings, the future of women in business looks increasingly bright.

As Steinle concluded, "We care deeply about this program... and we care about every student here and want this to be a great experience." That commitment, combined with the determination and talent of women like those on this panel, continues to reshape the business landscape for the better.

If you’re interested in earning your MBA online under the leadership of and among a cohort of intelligent, high-achieving women, schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor to learn more about KU.