COVER: The conference contribution delivered at University College London (UCL) by Marilisa Rutigliano, Director of The Spirits Club, as part of a panel of four women entrepreneurs: Il contributo offerto all’University College of London (UCL) da Marilisa Rutigliano, Direttore di The Spirits Club, come parte di un panel di quattro donne imprenditrici
On February 4, 2026, the prestigious University College London (UCL) hosted the EmpowerHer conference, an event dedicated to highlighting female talent and promoting inclusive leadership. Among the keynote speakers, Marilisa Rutigliano, Director of The Spirits Club, shared her professional journey with students, offering a powerful testimony built on determination, expertise, and vision.
During her speech, Rutigliano retraced the most significant stages of her career, explaining how her professional experience led her to become the director of an alternative investment company. Her path was far from linear, marked by challenges and increasing responsibilities that required strong analytical skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a solid ability to solve complex problems. Through her story, she provided a concrete and accessible perspective on the investment world, a sector often perceived as distant or difficult to enter, especially for women.
A central theme of her talk focused on gender bias, particularly the unequal treatment of men and women that still persists today, especially at managerial levels. Rutigliano emphasized that this obstacle can be overcome through perseverance, commitment, and by consistently asserting one’s skills and capabilities. Demonstrating competence through results, she stressed, is the most effective way to challenge and defeat such prejudice.
Photo 2: Great interest by students after Marilisa Rutigliano’s speech.
Her contribution sparked strong engagement among the female students in attendance, who actively participated by asking numerous questions and showing great interest in shaping their future professional paths after graduation. Many of them saw Marilisa Rutigliano as a true source of inspiration, a tangible example of how it is possible to build a successful career without compromising one’s values or ambitions.
Marilisa Rutigliano expressed her honor at being invited to speak at University College London, acknowledging the importance of initiatives like EmpowerHer in supporting and shaping the future generation of managers. The shared hope is that the insights and experiences Marilisa brought to the conference will prove valuable and inspiring for those preparing to enter the professional world with confidence, competence, and determination.
