MBA Student Wins International Leadership Award

Abby Schwartz, a second-year MBA student at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, is the recipient of the 2016 Graduate Business Forum (GBF) Responsible Leadership Award. Schwartz was recognized for her successful integration of diversity and inclusion initiatives at Georgetown, including establishing a new vice president for diversity and inclusion position within the MBA Student Government Association and increasing women in leadership positions in the association by 400 percent.

“Winning this award is really validating,” Schwartz said. “It makes me proud to be a Hoya that the administration here at the McDonough School of Business was so supportive and empowering of my goals and programming.”

Schwartz spearheaded the creation of a lactation room for students and staff who are parents, added questions to end-of-year surveys in order to measure inclusiveness, created diversity and inclusion workshops for students and staff, and encouraged reflections of diversity and inclusion within the admissions process.

“What has meant the most is the support of my peers,” she said. “Throughout this process they’ve made themselves available to create goals for diversity and inclusion, participate in workshops, and create diversity and inclusion events of their own. Now they’re celebrating this award with me.”

Schwartz received the award at GBF’s annual conference, held in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in April, which brought together more than 100 elected student government leaders from the top 50 global business schools. As part of the award, Schwartz received a grant to expand her diversity and inclusion work.

Established in 1983, the Graduate Business Forum is a global organization dedicated to developing responsible leadership and global citizenship, with influence, through an exclusive network of student leaders and alumni from the world’s top 50 business schools.