PWN Milan IWOB - International Women on Board

IWOB — International Women on Board PWN Milan

The boardroom requires more than experience.

IWOB provides the governance knowledge, peer community, and board-level network to put you in the room — in six months.

Why IWOB exists?

A successful executive career is not enough to get you into the boardroom. Governance knowledge, boardroom confidence, and the right connections are skills you must build separately and deliberately. IWOB was created for exactly this.

With the EU's 40% gender board mandate now in effect, Italian companies are actively looking for qualified women directors. The demand is real. The question is whether you’re visible to the right people when it matters.

What the programme includes

Governance knowledge and board simulations. The curriculum covers the technical and strategic foundations of board leadership — from governance and finance to AI and ESG. You’ll apply this knowledge in real board simulations, practising the decisions and dynamics of an actual boardroom, not a classroom exercise.

One personal mentor. From the start of the programme, you’re paired with one personal mentor — an active board member — who works with you one-on-one for the full six months. This is not a group session or a periodic check-in. It is a sustained individual relationship with someone who knows the boardroom from the inside.

A cohort of executive-level peers. You go through the programme alongside a selected group of senior women on the same path. The peer community you build during the programme is a resource that lasts well beyond it.

A board-ready CV. You develop your board CV throughout the programme. At graduation, your CV has been reviewed and shaped by an experienced board leader — so you finish ready to be considered, not just qualified.

The AIDAF partnership

AIDAF — Associazione Italiana delle Aziende Familiari — represents more than 270 of Italy's leading family businesses, accounting for a significant share of Italian GDP. When those companies look for qualified board candidates, the AIDAF Board Book is an essential resource.

When you complete IWOB, your profile is added to that book.

IWOB is among a small number of programmes in Italy that place graduates directly into the AIDAF Board Book. With the EU mandate now active, the companies represented by AIDAF are looking for board members. IWOB ensures they can find you.

Who should apply?

IWOB is for women who hold C-Level, Partner, or Director roles and are ready to take a deliberate step toward a board position. It’s also open to women who currently serve on a private, public, or non-profit board and want to deepen their governance expertise.

The programme is taught entirely in English.

Programme details

📅 Duration: Six months 

📅 Programme start: September 2026

📝 Application window: May - July 2026

Fees:

• Programme fee: €1,500 
• Early bird discount: 20% off until June 15th
• Bring a colleague: 15% discount for each participant

How to apply

Submit your CV and cover letter to iwob@pwnmilan.net. Eligible candidates will be invited to an interview with the PWN Milan Selection Committee.

PWN Milan IWOB Programme Team