The 2018/19 Board of the Women’s Business Network

Margarita Tutygina – President

“I am Margarita, a second year IBA student and I will be the president of this academic year. I joined WBN because it tackles an issue that is hardly addressed, despite being omnipresent. Women face a unique set of challenges when progressing into senior leadership positions and in my opinion, female empowerment is not only a question of equality, but should be seen as an opportunity to foster the growth of societies as a whole. It has always been, and unfortunately still is, hard for woman to establish a senior leadership role in the business world, not only because of their stereotyped role, but also because they are often lacking the resources and connections to either enter or establish such a business. Through WBN, I hope to provide young women with the tools and the network to enable them to step into roles with greater influence.”

Sonia Shvets – Events

“My name is Sonia, I’m a second year IBA student, and I will be responsible for you enjoying yourself at WBN’s events. Having been raised in Russia by a single mother running her own business, I was introduced to the concept of gender inequality in business at a very young age. I also happen to like attending and organizing events, so WBN is truly a great fit! I am very excited to be a part of a bigger movement and hopefully see the organization grow. In quite a naïve and yet extremely confident way, I believe that together we have the capacity to change the rules of the game for women on campus and beyond.”

Dana Hansmann – Marketing

“I’m Dana, currently pursuing my MSc in Marketing Management here at RSM. I joined the WBN because I believe that both women and men should feel equally capable to pursue their goals. I want to empower women to be a force to be reckoned with and I want to do my part in establishing an environment in which there is support for both women and men. In order to achieve this, my goal as the Marketing Manager at WBN is to educate people about the gender issues that still exist and motivate them to join the efforts to create change – and not only women, but also men. I believe that everyone should have a choice to pursue their dreams in life and it is our responsibility to make sure we support each other in the best way possible.”

Marthe van Vliet – External Relations

“My name is Marthe, I am a master student at the RSM and the External Relations Commissioner of the second WBN Board. I think it is important for women and men to become more aware of the still existing gender gap in business and politics. Many biases are still stopping women from reaching the top and that means a big loss of talent. Together with the other board members I hope to create more awareness through organising inspiring events and to give women more opportunities to develop themselves and reach the top. I am very excited to bring about this change at the Erasmus University and I am looking forward to meeting many new people and learn as much as possible from each other.”

Esther van Winkoop – Treasurer

“My name is Esther van Winkoop and I am a second year International Business Administration student. I will be WBN’s treasurer coming year, which means I will make sure the association stays financially healthy so we can continue organizing great events! Especially for a young and ambitious female business student like myself, it is very frustrating to know that the chance of obtaining a high position in my future career is substantially smaller than if I were a man. Therefore, I am excited to be part of a study association that addresses this problem and to be able to put in effort myself so we can make a difference together.”