The programme offers an exclusive face-to-face intensive training course at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). 

Over 700 women from 11 countries have already benefitted from this training.

Applications are open at Santander Scholarships until 13 March 2023. 

Madrid, 8 February 2023 – PRESS RELEASE
Banco Santander has launched a new edition of Santander Women Scholarships | W50 Leadership 2023 – LSE, an intensive training programme aimed at 50 women in senior management positions who are seeking to develop and improve their own leadership style.

This leadership programme, which is open to women in executive roles and resident in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, UK, Uruguay and USA), is taught by the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Since the programme's launch, over 700 female leaders have taken part in Santander W50 (SW50).

The programme provides face-to-face training at the LSE campus. There, participants will learn to enhance their individual leadership styles through training, activities and individual coaching. They will also have the opportunity to share experiences with women from different countries and boost international networking.

The call for applications will be open at Santander Scholarship until 13 March. The scholarship includes the full cost of the programme, tuition fees and accommodation in London (United Kingdom) during the programme dates. 

Nirit Harel, founder and CEO of Impact, and SW50 alumni, said, "There are environments where you can receive training and others where you can find community, but a combination of the two is rare. The support that I've received from the women there, the doors that we've opened for one another... It really is an exceptional group of women who love to support and help one another".

Training syllabus

The programme is divided into 3 phases, starting in May with a virtual opening session where the 50 participants will be able to meet each other, the teaching staff and their personal mentors. The second phase, consisting of five days in London, includes the training programme. It is an intensive programme, during which they will delve into a critical study of what efficient leadership means and the implications of this on global leadership, put different leadership theories into practice, and learn to develop their own skills and styles. 

The third phase of the programme, in August, will see the participants present their personal leadership development plan to staff, in a session which will mark the end of the programme.

Blanca Sagastume, group executive vice-president of Santander Universities, Open Innovation and Blockchain, remarked, "A programme as prestigious and high quality as SW50 is the best example of the Bank's commitment to female leadership and equal opportunities between men and women. This is the twelfth edition of an exclusive programme that we're holding in partnership with the prestigious international institution LSE".

“As our partnership with Banco Santander enters its fourth year, we are thrilled to extend our commitment to empowering the next generation of female leaders" said Phil Carter, Associate Director of Executive Education of LSE. "We are proud to collaborate with Santander in designing and delivering scholarship programs aimed at equipping women with the essential skills needed to succeed in their careers."

Santander W50 aligns with Banco Santander's commitment to ensuring equal opportunities between men and women in all the countries in which it operates. The Bank, whose board of directors is currently 40% women and where 30% of leadership positions will be held by women by 2025, received the highest global score in Bloomberg's 2023 Gender-Equality Index.

Additionally, Santander has developed various initiatives and products to financially empower women, including programmes that support thousands of women each day such as: Prospera in Brazil, Banca Women in Argentina, Generación81 in Spain, and Select Me and Tuiio in Mexico. The launch of Spain's first investment fund aimed at companies that promote equality, adherence to the UN's Women's Empowerment Principles and other programmes that aid women's progression is another noteworthy project.

Banco Santander, supporting higher education

At Banco Santander, we are strongly committed to progress and inclusive, sustainable growth. We take a pioneering and consolidated approach to higher education, which we have been putting into practice for over 25 years through Santander Universities, setting us apart from other financial institutions around the world. The institution has allocated over €2.1 billion to this programme and has awarded over 790,000 scholarships and grants.

About the London School of Economics and Political Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) was founded to "know the causes of things" and "for the betterment of society". The school is widely renowned for its academic excellence and is one of the most international schools in the world. Its studies of social, economic and political problems is focussed on different perspectives and experiences from a majority of countries. Since it was founded, LSE has strived to be a laboratory of social sciences – a place where ideas from all over the world are developed, analysed, evaluated and shared.