PWN Romania and Blue Horizon Training Partner to Strengthen Board Readiness in the 2026–2027 Women on Boards Academy
Partnership combines applied board leadership learning with access to realistic AI-powered board simulations through LeaderCoreAI:Boards
BUCHAREST, Romania — September 2026 — PWN Romania and Blue Horizon Training have announced a new partnership for the 2026–2027 edition of the Women on Boards Academy – The Board Leadership Journey, bringing together facilitated learning and AI-powered simulation to help experienced women leaders prepare for the distinct demands of serving on a board.
Now in its eighth edition, PWN Romania's Women on Boards Academy runs from October 2026 to June 2027 and is designed for senior women leaders preparing to strengthen their contribution at board level. The nine-month journey combines governance knowledge with strategic thinking, judgment, constructive challenge, influence and practical boardroom experience.
As part of the partnership, Blue Horizon Training will deliver a workshop addressing one of the less visible challenges of board readiness: the mindset shift from being a successful executive to becoming an effective board member.
The capabilities that make someone successful in an executive role do not automatically translate into the boardroom. Executives are accustomed to owning decisions, driving execution and solving problems directly. Board members need to create value differently: through oversight, strategic inquiry, constructive challenge, collective judgment and influence — while resisting the temptation to step back into management.
This practical experience will help participants explore and practise this transition as part of their broader Board Leadership Journey.
In addition, participants in the 2026–2027 Academy cohort will also have the opportunity to access LeaderCoreAI:Boards, a product of LeaderCoreAI developed specifically to give current and aspiring board members the opportunity to practise through realistic and immersive board simulations.
Participants can enter simulated boardroom situations, interact with AI-powered board colleagues and executives, test different approaches and experience the consequences of their choices in a safe environment. Because the simulations can be repeated without the professional stakes or social exposure of a real boardroom, participants can experiment, make mistakes, reflect and try again.
"The new edition of the Women on Boards Academy is built around a simple premise: board readiness requires more than understanding governance. The transition from executive leader to board contributor requires learning to think, challenge, decide and influence differently," said Adela Vladutoiu, Vice President Women on Boards, PWN Romania. "Our partnership with Blue Horizon Training adds an important practical dimension to that journey, allowing participants not only to understand this shift, but to experience and practice it in realistic situations."
For Blue Horizon Training, the partnership builds on a long-standing relationship with PWN Romania. Over several years, the company has actively supported the PWN community through workshops and seminars covering topics including mental fitness, executive presence, influence without authority and leadership effectiveness.
These contributions reflect a shared commitment to helping address some of the barriers that women continue to encounter on the path towards positions of greater influence and decision-making responsibility.
"Moving from the executive table to the board table looks like a promotion of the same skill set. It isn't," said Frank Basinski, CEO of Blue Horizon Training and founder of LeaderCoreAI. "Some of the instincts that make you an excellent executive — stepping in, solving the problem, driving the decision — can actually work against you as a board member. The board creates value in a different way. We want participants to understand that difference, but more importantly, to have somewhere safe to practise it before the stakes are real."
The collaboration closely supports the applied-learning philosophy behind the 2026–2027 Women on Boards Academy. Alongside expert-led sessions, the Academy incorporates case studies, role-plays, simulations, boardroom situations, peer learning and a final Board Leadership Challenge, helping participants move from understanding board governance to developing the judgment and behaviours required to contribute effectively.
About Professional Women's Network Romania
Established in 2011, Professional Women's Network Romania (PWN Romania) is part of PWN Global, an international network dedicated to advancing gender-balanced leadership and supporting women in their professional development and leadership journeys.
PWN Romania brings together women leaders, executives, entrepreneurs and professionals from diverse industries and career backgrounds. Through its programs, initiatives, events and community, the association supports leadership development, professional growth, entrepreneurship, mentoring and greater representation of women in decision-making and board-level roles.
Its initiatives include the Women on Boards Academy, dedicated to preparing experienced women leaders for effective board contribution, alongside programs and activities focused on mentoring, entrepreneurship and professional development.
PWN Romania also collaborates with organizations and professional networks in Romania and internationally to advance women's participation and contribution in leadership, governance and decision-making.
For more information about PWN Romania, please visit the PWN Romania website.
About Blue Horizon Training
Blue Horizon Training is a Bucharest-based leadership development company working with leaders and organisations to strengthen the behaviours required to lead, influence and make decisions effectively.
The company is also behind LeaderCoreAI, an AI-powered practice platform designed to complement leadership and professional development programmes with realistic, repeatable simulations. Rather than replacing workshops, trainers or expert-led learning, LeaderCoreAI provides a practice environment in which participants can apply what they have learned, receive feedback and repeat challenging situations until new behaviours become more natural.
LeaderCoreAI:Boards extends this approach specifically to board readiness, enabling current and aspiring board members to practise navigating realistic boardroom dynamics before encountering them in high-stakes professional situations.
Media Contacts
PWN Romania office@pwnromania.net pwnromania.net
Blue Horizon Training Frank Basinski office@bluehorizontraining.ro leadercore.ai