Women Up

Program Impact

Built on the impact of our first edition

Participants

49%

International

13 Nationalities

Functional Areas

“I truly like the combination of hard and soft leadership skills. So we had strategic thinking, boardroom simulations, but also had a lot on emotional intelligence, on leadership legacy, on influencing.”

Ana Pedroza

1^st edition participant

“It's been a great blend of theory, research, amazing speakers, and practical application, and a time for self-reflection. So I'd been on many programs before with business schools, but I think this one really stands out.”

Vanessa Edmunds

1^st edition participant

“The quality of the speakers, the quality of the content was amazing, far exceeded my expectations. Overall, just being able to connect with other women leaders and realize we have a lot of commonality in the issues that we face, and the challenges ahead has been inspirational.”

Allison Dodson

1^st edition participant

“It's a transformational program. There is no program like this in the market (…) It goes from strategy into psychology (…) It will transform your lives.”

Diana Pinto

1^st edition participant

Overview

Program Snapshot

Dates

From January 2027
to July 2027

Format

Blended

Language

English

Location

Online & Carcavelos,
Lisbon, Portugal

Duration I 7 months

Online

January 2027

Kick-off session

In Person I Immersive Week

March 8th - 12th 2027

@ Campus Nova SBE, Lisbon

Online

July 2027

Closing session

Tuition & Funding

Investment

Program Fee

9.880€

Program Fee with Scholarship

2.950€

Scholarship Support

Applicants may apply for one of 10 scholarships covering 70% of the program fee.

The following factors are positively considered in the selection process:

Breadth of leadership experience,
including international
or crosscultural exposure.

Ability to lead in digital
transformation with adaptability
and openness to innovation.

Limited or no employer sponsorship,
showing strong personal
commitment to the program.

Scholarship Powered By EDP & Sonae

A substantial grant co-sponsored by EDP and Sonae covers 70% of the program fee for the top 10 selected candidates.
This investment reflects a shared commitment to advancing women’s leadership and expanding access to cross-sector growth, connection and impact on a global scale.

Learning Outcomes

Key learnings along the Labyrinth

Leading From Within

Self-Leadership

— Build deeper self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and resilience to lead with authenticity and adaptability.

Competencies Developed

Self awareness • Authentic leadership • Emotional intelligence • Adaptability

Navigating Complexity

Strategic Vision

— Develop the ability to lead change with strategic clarity by navigating complexity, anticipating global shifts and applying decision-making frameworks to real-world challenges.

Competencies Developed

Strategic foresight • Strategic decision-making • Systemic thinking • Change management

Expanding Influence

Power & Presence

— Enhance executive presence and influence by navigating power dynamics, building trust-based relationships and communicating effectively in high-stakes, board-level environments.

Competencies Developed

Executive communication • Stakeholder management • Strategic collaboration

Shaping the Future

Legacy & Impact

— Amplify your public voice and legacy through industry thought leadership, inclusive advocacy and sustainable impact beyond your organization.

Competencies Developed

Legacy building • Inclusive leadership • Systemic influence

Selection Process

Application Process

Phase 1

SEPTEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 6 | 2026

Application Period

Candidates submit their application through an online form, including a CV and motivation letter. A recommendation letter is encouraged at this stage but may be submitted later.

Top candidates notified:

NOVEMBER 11, 2026

Phase 2

NOVEMBER 16 – NOVEMBER 27 | 2026

Final Interview

Individual interviews held by a selection committee to explore motivation, readiness and English fluency.

Selected participants confirmed:

DECEMBER 4, 2026

Program Kick-Off:

Week of JANUARY 11, 2027

Requirements

To be considered, you must

Demonstrate at least 15 years of professional experience, including 5+ years in people management and proven senior or strategic leadership responsibility.

Submit a recommendation letter from a senior professional who can speak to your leadership experience.

Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent higher education qualification.

Submit a motivation letter outlining career goals and alignment with the program.

Commit to full participation in the program.

Be proficient in English (C1 level or equivalent).

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Faculty

Academic Direction

Miguel Pina e Cunha

PhD in Marketing from Tilburg University (1998)

PhD in Marketing from Tilburg University (1998).He is Fundação Amélia de Mello Professor of Leadership and Organization Studies and Vice-Dean of Innovation & Impact at Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, where he also serves as the Academic Director of Executive Education. His research deals with the paradoxes of organizations. He co-edited The Routledge Companion to Improvisation in Organizations, published by Routledge in 2024 and Organizational Paradoxes: Theory and Practice, published by Sage in 2024.

Marta Pimentel

PhD in Business Sciences from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (2014)

PhD in Business Sciences from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (2014).She is the Executive Director of Executive Education at Nova SBE and a Board member of Unicon. She brings 15+ years of leadership in global executive education, including at Fundação Dom Cabral, with a strong focus on advancing women in leadership across sectors and regions.

Faculty

Women Up is led by internationally recognized faculty and practitioners who combine academic excellence with real-world leadership experience.

Subi Rangan

Chaired professor of Strategy, INSEAD; MBA from MIT; PhD from Harvard. Pioneering scholar integrating economics and philosophy to explore why and how business leaders can better integrate performance & progress. Subi is Board Member at Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil, and at the WEF Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Nadim Habib

Strategy and innovation consultant with deep expertise in agile leadership and organizational transformation. Frequent keynote speaker and executive educator with extensive international corporate experience.

Ana Moniz

Psychologist, certified executive coach, and leadership trainer. Specialist in emotional intelligence, resilience, and psychological coaching for courageous, values-driven leadership.

Hannes Leroy

Professor at Rotterdam School of Management and leading expert on authentic leadership. His work explores how leaders develop integrity and psychological safety by aligning personal values with organizational behavior.

Miguel Calado

Bachelor of Business Administration. Graduate (OPM) from Harvard Business School, USA. Currently he is the Chairman of the Board of Nanoform Finland Oyj since 2020, and member of the Board of Directors since 2019.

Cristina Morgado

Senior executive with over 25 years of national and international experience in the pharmaceutical industry, where she led teams and business units in highly complex and transformational contexts

Anne Valérie Corboz

Professor at HEC Paris and former Deanof HEC Paris Executive Education,specializing in strategy and leadership.She combines strategic insight withhands-on experience, helpingorganizations navigate complex challengesand seize growth opportunities.

Additional guest faculty, facilitators, and executive speakers will contribute throughout the program.  Faculty may vary depending on availability.

About Nova Sbe

Distinguished among the best

Top World Rankings

Open and Custom Programs Portugal

Custom Programs
‍World

Future Use
‍World

Triple Crown Accreditation

ACCSB + EQUIS + AMBA
Our commitment has enabled us to obtain the most exclusive international certifications.

A Global Benchmark in Executive Education

We are an associate member of UNICON, a global consortium whose members are the most sought-after training partners for leaders and organisations looking to improve performance.

About Sonae

Sonae is a multinational company managing a diversified portfolio of businesses in retail, real estate, telecommunications and ventures.

As the big private employer in Portugal and with over 55.000 employees worldwide, Sonae is strongly committed to gender equality, aiming to achieve 45% of women in leadership by 2026. It is recognized in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for its best practices.

About Edp

EDP is a global energy company leading the energy transition, operating across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. With employees from 68 nationalities, EDP is committed to advancing gender equality, aiming to reach 31% of female representation in both its workforce and leadership by 2026.

A Development Journey for Women in Senior Positions