Santander launches SW50 program in 11 countries to uncover 50 exceptional female leaders

The 15th Santander W50 will offer 50 women participate in an exclusive in-person course by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). More than 800 women have taken part in SW50 program over 14 years.

Banco Santander is launching another Santander W50, its women leadership programme that this year will arrive in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Uruguay, and the US). The project runs in two stages – a local stage in each of the 11 countries, followed by a global stage. The goal of the program is to identify 50 exceptional female leaders who will participate in a training event in London.

Applications for the program can be submitted on the Santander Open Academy platform until January 7, 2025.One of the key requirements for application is to prepare a description of previous work experience, a cover letter and resume.

50 female candidates will qualify for the first, local stage of the program. Participants will receive access to an online course on women’s leadership hosted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), as well as the opportunity to attend a networking meeting with the winners of the local competition.

The 550 women who have been successfully recruited locally will take part in the global SW50 competition to become one of the world’s 50 women directors and have the chance to attend the in-person course by London School of Economics. LSE will cover the cost of registration, tuition and accommodation

The aim of the course is to perfect leadership skills and learn about negotiation techniques, or project and team management. Participants will also be able to attend conferences and individual and group coaching sessions. They will have the opportunity to share career-related experiences, as well as expand their international network of contacts.

Applications for the Polish edition of the competition can be submitted at: https://app.santanderopenacademy.com/pl/program/sw50-2025-polska .

Santander is firmly committed to progress and inclusive sustainable growth. It has been a pioneering stalwart of education, employability and entrepreneurship for 27 years, standing out among the world’s financial institutions. Santander has deployed more than €2.3 billion and provided over €1.5 billion to help people and businesses through agreements with nearly 1,200 universities and organizations. In the Fortune magazine’s 2023 “Change the World” Santander is listed as one of the biggest contributors to making the world a better place (www.santander.com/universities).

Santander Open Academy is a global learning and development platform that offers fully subsidized courses, free high-quality learning content and scholarships at top universities and institutions all over the world to help people boost their job skills and become more employable.

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a global community of people and ideas in the heart of central London. One of the world’s most international universities, it specializes in social sciences and has an excellent reputation. LSE’s motto „rerum cognoscere causas” means „to know the causes of things”. It was chosen to support the School’s founding purpose, „for the betterment of society”. With that in mind, its ambition today is to be the leading social science university with the greatest global impact and a place where ideas are developed, analysed, assessed and shared all over the world.