A Case Study of How Women Crack the C-Suite

The purpose of this study is to secure a clearer understanding of how women crack the C-Suite within their professional careers. Alumnae from Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University were interviewed to understand how these graduates made it to the C-Suite and to see if there existed any trends or key insights from their journeys. The main findings of this preliminary study indicate the following regarding the alumnae: (1) each experienced an event, incident or program that increased their desire to pursue the C-Suite; (2) each had a mentor or mentors that had a major impact on their careers; (3) each had similar factors and acquired skills that enabled their elevation to the C-Suite; (4) each experienced gender issues on their rise to the C-Suite and within their current roles; and (5) each had not fully mastered the art of work life balance although they were fully supportive of this concept with individuals within their organizations. The initial results of this study can potentially be a resource for women seeking the C-Suite, for organizations looking to gain greater female representation within the C-Suite and for females thinking of pursuing graduate management education.