While the number of women CEOs at publicly traded U.S. companies remains relatively low at 12 percent, there is a positive statistic that could be a key to improving the trend of women in leadership: About 94 percent of C-suite women have played sports, according to a recent EY study. Further, EY found that 52 percent of C-suite women played sports at the university level, compared to 39 percent of women in other management roles.

The strong association between athletics and executive leadership is the focus of a new sponsorship agreement between Notre Dame Global Partnerships, the multimedia rights holder for the University of Notre Dame Athletics, and the Mendoza College of Business to support student-athletes through the college’s highly ranked graduate business programs.

Launched in July, the one-of-a-kind partnership enables Mendoza and Notre Dame Athletics to collaborate in new ways to help student-athletes fully realize their leadership potential through greater awareness of career pathways in business — especially pathways where women can close gender disparity gaps. Mendoza is the only academic unit that serves as a sponsor to Notre Dame Athletics.

“The opportunity to collaborate with Mendoza (College of Business) will open doors for our students and many around the country,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua. “To be able to provide extended educational opportunities at one of the nation’s top business schools is a testament to our ‘four for forever’ promise we make to Notre Dame student-athletes.”

The partnership builds on Mendoza and Notre Dame Athletics’ shared mission to develop leaders who compete at the highest levels and are committed to service and contributing to the greater good. The agreement includes the involvement of Mendoza College of Business thought leaders — including faculty, staff and alumni — during athletic events and panel discussions. Mendoza also plans to host special talks with Notre Dame Athletics coaches and administrators on ethical leadership and personal and professional development.

While current student-athletes are a particular focus, this partnership aims to extend well beyond the Notre Dame campus to former Fighting Irish student-athletes and current and former student-athletes worldwide. Applicants to Mendoza’s graduate programs will benefit from a streamlined admissions process, and athletic leadership will be a consideration in the overall award of scholarship funding.

“Our imperative at Mendoza is to Grow the Good in Business — to contribute to human flourishing through business,” said Martijn Cremers, the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “Our collaboration with Notre Dame Athletics is an opportunity to support student-athletes in their career journeys and, importantly, to help them successfully navigate the path to executive leadership.”

As part of the collaboration, Mendoza and Notre Dame Athletics launched a pilot of the professional development program ND Elevate this fall specifically for Notre Dame student-athletes. ND Elevate is a semester-long program designed to empower student-athletes as leaders to take the next step in their professional journeys through workshops, one-on-one mentorships and speaker events to develop knowledge and skills essential to growing the good in business.

With an emphasis on obstacles and opportunities traditionally encountered by women in the workplace, ND Elevate participants will learn to cultivate confidence and resilience, recognize the value of one’s authentic presence and how it contributes to an organization, and begin to develop a leadership style and vision to propel them to future success.

Founded by Kristen Collett-Schmitt, the associate dean for undergraduate studies and specialized master’s programs at Mendoza College of Business, the ND Elevate program consists of a combination of in-person workshops and online learning modules taught by Collett-Schmitt along with some of the University’s foremost leaders and scholars, including former women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw, legendary basketball player and alumna Ruth Riley Hunter and former Mendoza dean Carolyn Woo.

“Notre Dame Athletics and the Mendoza College of Business are committed to contributing to a society in which all can flourish and are in a unique position to use both educational programs and its powerful alumni network to build an inclusive community where everyone can thrive,” Collett-Schmitt said. “I am proud that both the University and the college have chosen to support athletes as aspiring leaders through ND Elevate.”

For more information on this partnership or to get involved, contact Jen Wade, Mendoza College of Business senior director of marketing and brand strategy, at mendozabusiness@nd.edu.

Originally posted on Mendoza News.