RISE 2025
RISE @ ESC Congress 2025
Together With World Congress of Cardiology
28 August – Madrid
RISE @ ESC Congress 2025 was a full-day event dedicated to connecting women in cardiology with the organizations that support them for an inspiring day of professional development. Designed to empower women across medical specialties, RISE is a unique opportunity to develop essential non-clinical skills that drive career advancement.
For 2025, Women As One continued our partnership with the European Society of Cardiology and began a new partnership with the World Congress of Cardiology. The program once again shone a light on the critical theme of leadership, equipping participants with insights into the challenges and opportunities specific to their global regions. Attendees explored innovative strategies for success, gained invaluable mentorship opportunities, and strengthened their professional networks through the ever-expanding Women As One community.
Agenda
Program Directors Dr. Roxana Mehran, Dr. María Rubini, and Dr. Liesl Zühlke designed a dynamic agenda that delivered a truly global perspective on leadership. The program featured insightful discussions led by esteemed leaders in cardiology and business, as well as interactive coaching sessions and valuable opportunities for mentorship and networking.
With diverse perspectives from around the world, RISE equipped women in cardiology with the essential skills needed to forge their own leadership paths. Attendees left inspired, empowered, and ready to elevate their careers to the next level. Some of the key sessions from the conference included:
- The House of Cardiology Roundtable – A dynamic discussion on gender equity initiatives and commitments from leading cardiovascular professional societies.
- Heart Talk with the Global Community – A global panel highlighting regional opportunities for support and collaboration.
- Situational Strategies for Success – An interactive session led by a renowned Executive Coach, offering practical strategies to navigate everyday challenges.
- Speed Mentoring Sessions – A unique opportunity for 1-on-1 mentorship with a diverse panel of leaders in the field.
Faculty
Meet the distinguished faculty of RISE @ ESC Congress 2025, an inspiring group of global leaders in cardiology who brought a wealth of expertise, experience, and diverse perspectives to the program.
Dr. Carla Agatiello
Argentina
Dr. Nouf Alanazi
Saudi Arabia
Dr. Shrilla Banerjee
United Kingdom
Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer
United Kingdom
Dr. Julia Brandts
Germany
Dr. Barbara Casadei
United Kingdom
Flávia Geraldes
United Kingdom
Dr. Alessia Gimelli
Italy
Neil Johnson
Ireland
Dr. Vijay Kunadian
United Kingdom
Dr. Gregory Lim
United Kingdom
Professor Thomas F. Lüscher
United Kingdom
Dr. Sonia Muliyil
United Kingdom
Borjana Pervan
Switzerland
Doris Pommi
Germany
Dr. Sarita Rao
India
Jean-Francois Riffaud
France
Dr. María Rubini
Spain
Dr. Clara Saldariagga
Colombia
Dr. Antonia Sambola
Spain
Dr. Nancy Sweitzer
United States
Dr. Pam Taub
Italy
Dr. Carol Pitcher-Towner
United Kingdom
Dr. Faiez Zannad
France
Dr. Liesl Zühlke
South Africa
Session Summaries
A few words from our community
The RISE meeting at ESC Congress was amazing. It focused on professional development for women in cardiology in a seminar-type format with hands-on role-playing sessions. Such an inspiring and practical experience – thank you very much to the organisers!
Professor Martine Gilard, MD, PhD, FESC
Emeritus Professor of Cardiology, Brest University, France
The second edition of the RISE Conference was phenomenal! I left the conference with a full heart, confidence and many tools to navigate the cardio world as a woman!
Alexandra Bastiany, MD FRCPC DRCPSC
Interventional Cardiologist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Canada
I could not imagine a better start to this year’s ESC Congress in London than with RISE @ ESC Congress 2024. Thank you Women As One and the European Society of Cardiology for this absolutely amazing day. This kind of perfectly framed and sincere female empowerment makes me see a bright future a lot clearer. I can’t wait for the next RISE event to come.
Dr. Julia Lueg
Cardiology resident, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Berlin, Germany
Incredible day talking mentorship, negotiation & conflict resolution, & changing institutional culture so that women in cardiology can rise! Met some truly inspiring women from across the globe.
Elizabeth Epstein, MD
Chief Cardiology Fellow, Scripps Integrative Cardiology, USA
RISE @ ESC Congress 2025 sponsors
Thank you to the generous sponsors that supported RISE @ ESC Congress 2025 together with World Congress of Cardiology.
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