A senior manager working with the insolvency and restructuring firm, Ferrier Hodgson, who wants to drive “the global conversation on diversity, inclusion and equality”, has been awarded a UN Women National Committee Australia MBA Scholarship. Anmoljot (Anmol) Kaur Saini, 29, is the second recipient of the prestigious Scholarship, allowing her to join the University of Sydney Business School’s elite Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
The Executive Director of the Australian National Committee for UN Women, Julie McKay, says she is looking forward to having Anmol work with UN Women, and believes she will be an outstanding example of the power of women’s leadership. “Anmol has exceptional strategy and business skills, as well as a genuine commitment to advancing gender equality in her industry and globally,” Ms McKay said. “I am excited that she has been awarded the UN Women NC Australia MBA Scholarship for Semester 1 2015.”
Anmol attributes her personal and professional determination to her parents, who migrated to Australia in their early 30s, leaving behind the comfort and ease of the known in India, in an attempt to provide her and her siblings with better opportunities in life. “I am extremely fortunate to have strong-willed, hard-working parents as role models and very supportive siblings. At Ferrier Hodgson, I have had access to a strong and successful female mentor in a heavily male dominated industry, as well as various colleagues and seniors who have invested their time and effort to assist with my professional development,” Anmol said. “I now have a vested interest in helping other women in the same way, and hope to extend and strengthen the global conversation on diversity, inclusion and equality.” Anmol’s commitment to women in leadership was the driving force behind her highly successful “Women at Ferriers” initiative, established to provide greater networking opportunities for female employees within her firm, as well as their clients, in the hope of breaking down gender barriers in what remains a male dominated industry. She has also been on the NSW committee of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) for over 4 years, an organisation which is committed to the connection, promotion and success of women in the insolvency and restructuring professions worldwide.
The Business School’s MBA Program Director, Professor Guy Ford, pointed out that the newest MBA cohort, which will commence in late February, has an even split of women and men. “We are delighted with this outcome given the global trend shows far less women undertaking MBA’s than men,” Professor Ford said.
Anmol sees the MBA Program as an opportunity to become a “strong and effective leader” in the world of business. “By virtue of this scholarship, I will be better equipped to progress my career and leadership capabilities, and just as importantly, aid the professional development of the women I work with,” she said. “It is my intention to develop new initiatives for change and eventually create opportunities for women within my firm, my industry and the broader community.”
The Dean of the Business School, Professor Gregory Whitwell, said that he was delighted with Anmol’s UN Women NC Australia MBA Scholarship success and that he looked forward to following her journey through the MBA program. “The Business School is deeply committed to encouraging diversity and we seek to provide access to higher education for women like Anmol,” he said. “Our partnership with the Australian National Committee for UN Women helps us to challenge gender barriers and allows women to develop their leadership skills.” “Through our MBA program, we hope to promote women into leadership roles in various industries and organisations,” Professor Whitwell concluded.
This scholarship is open to all women (with Australian citizenship, Australian residency or New Zealand citizenship) who are eligible to apply for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the Business School.
