It’s a good time to be a woman in business

Foster undergraduates Madeline Down and Natasha Tieu share their thoughts on the Second Annual Women’s Breakfast, which was organized by the Foster School’s EY Center for Undergraduate Career Advancement.

The Second Annual Women’s Breakfast was a success. The attendance from both employers and students was impressive. Women from many companies attended, including Wells Fargo Bank, Deloitte, Concur Technologies, Grant Thornton, KPMG, EY, PwC, West Monroe Partners, Eddie Bauer, The Boeing Company and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

A highlight from the event was the keynote speech by Mary Knell, CEO of Wells Fargo, Washington and Western Canada. She spoke about the challenges and benefits of being a woman in business, and her experience at Wells Fargo and in other positions. Knell shared that there are many challenges related to family and work life, and the social expectation that women should not be the ‘bread-winner.’ However, society is changing and it is an extremely exciting time to be a woman in business. Knell is proof that all women are capable of having a successful career and a family at the same time. She definitely inspired me to keep working towards my goals, and not to let any adversity deter me from reaching them.

At the breakfast, it was amazing to see a room full of women, ranging from freshmen to professionals, getting together to discuss topics unique to women in business. You could feel the tremendous support we had for one another. As a woman in the business school, I look forward to attending next year and creating new contacts and connections within the professional world.