We want to increase diversity on the career track and ultimately in top management by empowering students to shoot for the stars.
The leadership academy is powered by professional workshops
Through a series of workshops, Female Leadership Academy will provide the attendees with a comprehensive leadership toolbox and take them through a variety of subjects. The workshops are among other subjects, personal branding, negotiation, and leadership embodiment.
The workshops will be hosted in collaboration with prominent businesswomen in a variety of fields within the public and private sector. This is to expose the attendees with different role models and inspiration to grow their individual career. Former speakers include among others Helle Thorning Schmidt who has been Prime Minister of Denmark, Mia Wagner known from the danish version of Dragons Dent (”Løvens Hule”), Christina Krzyrosiak Hansen the Mayor of Holbæk Municipality, and Pernille Erichsen from Dansk Industri
Time:
October 2025
Practical information
Soon to be announced
Location:
Copenhagen
The student academy is hosted in collaboration with our main official partner KPMG. KPMG shares the mission of increasing diversity in top management with us and they describe themselves as “pioneers at heart”.
KPMG makes a positive impact on their clients and society by having the courage to be different and exploring new territories, working shoulder to shoulder with their clients. KPMG also makes a great effort when it comes to inclusion and diversity, both globally and locally with small KPMG communities focused on gender, LGBT+ and mental health, for instance.
The main goal of those initiatives is to ensure equality for all members of the KPMG network and the overall society.
Female Leadership Academy also support the formation of informal FLA groups, a networking group where you can meet up on your own premises. Being a part of the Academy also makes you a part of the FLA network where all members will benefit from being exclusively invited to leadership and network events going forward. The FLA network is a key building block in our community of the next generation of leaders.
We wish to show that everyone can shoot for the stars, by supporting motivation and developing skills, and by addressing the barriers that many women encounter when seeking career and leadership. The workshops combined with the close network of like-minded talented students provide you with the opportunity of getting a head start in your career.
Example of our Spring 2025 Student Leadership Academy.
Learning objectives
Unlock deeper presence, clarity, and confidence by reconnecting with inner balance. Through powerful tools rooted in self-awareness, attention, and embodiment, participants learn to lead with greater impact, perspective, and trust.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Communicate with impact as a leader by developing a personal and authentic communication style, mastering storytelling and top-down messaging, navigating stakeholder relationships strategically, and using nonverbal cues and presentation techniques to build trust, engage audiences, and deliver messages with confidence and clarity.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Develop authoritative leadership skills by enhancing credibility, establishing a strong presence, making impactful decisions, and asserting authority respectfully.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Strengthen emotional intelligence by recognizing and managing emotions effectively, develop resilience under pressure, and build trust-based relationships.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Leading in the face of complex organizational and global challenges requires a set of critical tools for engaging with diversity, difference, and power. In this workshop you will learn how reflexive leadership can help create more equitable and inclusive workplaces.
Key topics
Learning objectives
The program concludes with a joint event bringing together ambitious professionals from all four ELA programs – a celebration of completing the academy, an opportunity to strengthen connections, gain practical insights from a top senior leader, expand
your network across companies and industries, and receive your official ELA certificate.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Unlock deeper presence, clarity, and confidence by reconnecting with inner balance. Through powerful tools rooted in self-awareness, attention, and embodiment, participants learn to lead with greater impact, perspective, and trust.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Communicate with impact as a leader by developing a personal and authentic communication style, mastering storytelling and top-down messaging, navigating stakeholder relationships strategically, and using nonverbal cues and presentation techniques to build trust, engage audiences, and deliver messages with confidence and clarity.
Key topics
Learning objectives
Develop authoritative leadership skills by enhancing credibility, establishing a strong presence, making impactful decisions, and asserting authority respectfully.
Key topics
Head of People at KPMG
Ane is the Head of People at KPMG Denmark. She has a background in International Business and Modern Languages from CBS. Besides working for KPMG, Ane has had a fantastic career in the HR department in Mærsk and also spend some time working for an NGO. Her top priority is the Happy People agenda, to make sure employees and potential talents are passionate and motivated about working at KPMG.
Marketing Assistant at KPMG
Madeleine works at KPMG and is a certified Life and Leadership Coach. She is fascinated with the human brain, what makes us act, think and feel in certain ways, and coaches on how we can reprogram ourselves to let out and embrace our superpowers.
Talent Acquisition Team at KPMG
Anouska works in the Talent Acquisition team at KPMG Denmark and has been with KPMG for more than 7 years. Anouska started out as an Audit Graduate in 2015 and transitioned into HR in 2017. She leads all the employer branding initiatives at KPMG and has a big role in shaping and executing the DEI agenda, including being the co-founder of KPMG QueerSpace. She has a combined background with and MSc in Accounting and Control and a MSc in Branding and Communication Management, so she knows what it is like to be in the field and how to shape a successful talent attraction and DEI strategy.
Author of ‘Diversifying Diversity’
Poornima is the author of ‘Diversifying Diversity: Your Guide to Being an Active Ally of Inclusion in the Workplace’, and an established Inclusion & Diversity educator, corporate trainer and consultant, focusing on expanding the dimensions of diversity we look at while empowering us to be active allies to make workplaces and organisations inclusive for all.
M.Sc. in Cognitive & Decision Sciences from UC
Clara holds a M.Sc. in Cognitive & Decision Sciences from UCL and is an experienced behavioral designer. She is passionate about understanding, measuring and changing human behavior, and in the past couple of years Clara has worked with the topic of DE&I, both internally in Implement but also with clients, in order to drive transformation towards becoming more inclusive and sustainable. Clara is a true master in applied neuromarketing, behavioral economics and behavioral design since 2011.
Advisor at Implement
Rikke works as an advisor for big national and international companies, who have desires to build outstanding leadership that can take the company and its employees into the future. Rikke is also leading the Female Partner Program in Implement, and both here and with clients, she is passionate about creating human and cultural changes through conversations. It is Rikke’s mission in life to leave people and organisations in a better stage than before she met them.
Engagement Manager at McKinsey
Miriam is an Engagement Manager in the McKinsey Copenhagen office. Miriam primarily works with large, multinational organizations on end-to-end transformational change, including strategy development, operating model design, and culture and change mgmt. She works across industries, most recently bringing her expertise to advanced industry, maritime, and energy players in service of the energy transition. She has significant experience working in Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States.
Associate Professor at CBS
Eric has been researching and teaching at CBS since 1999. He is interested in the relationships between leadership, culture, power, and organizational politics, especially in the ways that assumptions about leadership influence the ways that people experience and navigate their working lives. Together with Nicole Ferry, he has most recently published articles about the ideological underpinnings of student leadership development and about the cultural and commercial dynamics behind the popularity of leadership fashions. At CBS Eric teaches a number of case-based, discussion-intensive courses about leadership, complexity, and organizational politics.
Assistant Professor at CBS
Nicole draws on her educational background in cultural studies and critical theory to explore the ideological and gendered discourses of leadership and leadership development in a variety of contexts. She is currently an assistant professor and works at the Copenhagen Business School in the Department of Management, Society, and Communication. Her research focuses on the competitive and cultural dynamics of the leadership industries, the critique of popularized leadership narratives, and leadership fashions. Since arriving at CBS, she has joined the Bowline initiative, which connects stakeholders in the Copenhagen restaurant industry with scholars and students to develop new forms of action research, learning, and collaborative engagement.
EMEA Executive Search at Egon Zehnder
Marie leads the EMEA health care practice at Egon Zehnder, one of the world’s leading executive search and leadership advisory firms. She conducts non-executive director and C-suite successions as well as leadership development programmes with a focus on (bio)pharma, biotech, medical devices and life science organizations. Marie has a deep passion to influence Boards and C-suite on their gender diversity perceptions enabling real impact. Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Marie was Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Novo Nordisk, where she started her career within Corporate Treasury. Further, she has held leadership positions in finance, strategy, operations, and treasury at the company. Earlier she worked for the World Bank and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
SEED
During this semester’s Female Leadership Academy, we once again have the honor of collaborating with our partner network SEED – a network for aspiring female leaders. With the philosophy that ‘becoming a leader is everyday work’, SEED is a place to grow as a leader in strong and supportive companionship with career-minded peers. During Female Leadership Academy, SEED will provide a mentorship program that FLA participants can apply to once the academy kicks off.
Owner of Active Action
Kathy Borys Siddiqui has lived in 4 countries and on 2 continents, she holds MA’s in Cultural Studies and in American Studies. Kathy has been able to combine her passion and profession as an Intercultural Trainer, owner of Active Action, entrepreneur, public speaker, writer, Personal Brand, Networking, Cultural Awareness and Well-Being Specialist. A firm believer that if you are lacking something – create it.
She is the founder of Active Action – supporting International companies & organisations, Internationals as well as their accompanying families in their intercultural transitions. Active Action focuses on raising awareness, acknowledging and bringing solutions to challenges that Internationals, their families, and employers are faced with, in order to create thriving and positive environments.
SEED
During this semester’s Female Leadership Academy, we once again have the honor of collaborating with our partner network SEED – a network for aspiring female leaders. With the philosophy that ‘becoming a leader is everyday work’, SEED is a place to grow as a leader in strong and supportive companionship with career-minded peers. During Female Leadership Academy, SEED will provide a mentorship program that FLA participants can apply to once the academy kicks off.
of participants feel more prepared to pursue leadership roles after completing the academy
of participants feel more empowered to pursue leadership roles.
of participants are taking actions to engage with their leaders about their career development
It is free to be enrolled in the Student Leadership Academy. However, in order to be chosen you have to send an application.
The Student Leadership Academy is open to all students across Denmark enrolled in a higher education who seek to empower female leadership and want to develop their leadership skills.
The Student Leadership Academy enrolls 30 participants every semester.
Every semester we receive a very high amount of applications, whereas the limited spots also leads to many rejections are given to highly qualified students. Therefore, we also do urge everyone to apply multiple semesters and state it in application how many times you applied to increase the chances of getting accepted.
Participation of the Student Leadership Academy is free. However, you have to apply to be able to be chosen to enroll.
Every participant of the Student Academy must attend a minimum of 5 out of 6 workshops to claim their Female Leadership Academy certificate.
Female Leadership Academy (FLA) is a nonprofit leadership accelerator on a mission to increase cognitive diversity in top management. Founded five years ago, FLA fills a critical gap by preparing early-career professionals before they step into leadership roles. With support from bestselling leadership authors, globally recognized experts, and top CEOs, we help emerging talent take off by providing the tools, community, and guidance they need to lead – and thrive – in their first leadership role.
FLA has Student Ambassadors at all major universities. We welcome you all to contact the ambassador at your university, or show up for our info night at your university. The schedule will soon be published.
Female Leadership Academy (FLA) is on a mission to increase cognitive diversity in top management.
We are a nonprofit organization, serving as a leadership accelerator dedicated to fostering a stronger pipeline for cognitively diverse leaders.
We fill a gap in the market as the only leadership accelerator focusing on preparing aspiring talents in their early stages of their careers before they become leaders.
We help talents take their first steps toward their leadership journey by inspiring, supporting, educating, and providing them with the right network. We stay with them every step of the way until they land their first leadership position.
FLA is supported by best-selling leadership authors and global recognized leadership experts from New York and top CEOs from some of the most prestigious companies.
Partnerships
Careers in FLA
Membership
© 2025 Female Leadership Academy. All rights reserved.
Membership
Partnerships
Female Leadership Academy (FLA) is on a mission to increase cognitive diversity in top management.
We are a nonprofit organization, serving as a leadership accelerator dedicated to fostering a stronger pipeline for cognitively diverse leaders.
We fill a gap in the market as the only leadership accelerator focusing on preparing aspiring talents in their early stages of their careers before they become leaders.
We help talents take their first steps toward their leadership journey by inspiring, supporting, educating, and providing them with the right network. We stay with them every step of the way until they land their first leadership position.
FLA is supported by best-selling leadership authors and global recognized leadership experts from New York and top CEOs from some of the most prestigious companies.
© 2025 Female Leadership Academy. All rights reserved.
