How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty

In this episode, we interview Sam Cunnington Waugh. Sam is a father to an almost 5 month old boy Felix, and a 5 year old daughter Rhea, who has recently started school. He is a Brit, married to a kiwi Bella and they moved over to Aotearoa from London in 2021, during the tail end of the pandemic.  Sam works in government, currently at a crown entity, but has had a varied history in different g...

In this episode, we interview Sean Keaney. Sean, CEO of FCB Wellington, isn't your average ad exec. He's a seasoned veteran, having cut his teeth in the good old days of direct mail, and has since tackled campaigns for a diverse range of clients, from banks to power companies, retirement villages to consumer electronics giants. But Sean's passion lies beyond the bottom line. He's a champion for im...

Kia ora koutou, welcome back to Season Two of How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty. In this season we are turning the spotlight onto Working Fathers. Even though they may not personally pay “the motherhood penalty” they make tough sacrifices, and they face real challenges in the juggle of career and family. In this season I will get curious about the challenges they face, the support they lean on a...

In this episode, we interview Steve Jurkovich, dad to two daughters and Chief Executive of Kiwibank. You’ll need to pull up a chair for our conversation as it is a fire side chat with a master storyteller.  Steve joined Kiwibank in July 2018 as Chief Executive. He graduated from Otago University with a Bachelor of Law and completed his MBA at the University of Sydney. With over 20 years of ba...

In this episode, we interview Paul Taylor. You may remember him and his wife Bec from Season One. Well – he is back! We are super lucky to hear from him again. Paul and Bec met in London, had an amazing, carefree, fun-filled time working jobs they loved, traveling, sleeping in, and genuinely living the dream. They moved home to Auckland and suddenly life came at them fast. They bought a house, got...

In this episode, we interview Scott La Franchie. Scott is a proud Husband and father of two young daughters, aged 4 and 6, and a senior leader and marketing strategist with nearly two decades of experience launching innovative products across IT, telecommunications, and security sectors in New Zealand. He is currently taking a break after finishing up at First Security and will be focusing on...

In this episode, we interview Callum Williamson. Callum is a working father and General Manager at Conductive Education Taranaki who recently took time off to care for his one-year-old daughter, Molly-Maggie. During this period, he experienced the day-to-day demands of balancing parenting and professional responsibilities. Callum shares his perspective on the challenges and adjustments that come w...

As this is the final episode of the first season of “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty”, I wanted to reflect on what I have learnt from taking the leap and making this series. And I also wanted to share what I would do if I had a magic wand. It is a question I have asked all my guests – if they had a magic wand that would make the biggest impact on smashing the motherhood penalty – what would it...

In this episode we talk with Michelle Russell, General Manager, Talent and Culture, for ANZ NZ and the Pacific. It was a special conversation recorded in the recent school holidays and a unique blend of Michelle’s story long with her observations of the workplace and what is needed to smash the motherhood penalty. She is a fierce supporter of parents continuing to grow their careers and to do it “...

This week, our guest is Charlotte Ward, the Chief People Officer for Kiwibank. I reached out to Charlotte when I saw that they had created a part time role for one of their senior leaders when they returned from parental leave. Creating senior roles that can be completed in part time hours is one of the ways we will smash the motherhood penalty. This is how we can continue to build our careers ins...

How good is it to spend time with someone who has found her sweet spot and loves her work. This person is indeed, Dellwyn Stuart. Dellwyn is a mother of three and the Chief Executive of the YWCA in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland. She is in her happy place working with young women in Auckland. Alongside this she is also one of the co-founders of the Mind the Gap campaign (advocating for measuring and re...

This episode is one that I dared to dream about. Through my coaching with working parents, I have had a window on the world of families that others may not have. I have listened to my client’s stories about how they manage the daily operations of their families and the challenges they face. And I have concluded that what happens at home has a massive impact on what is possible at work. So, I was d...

If you have ever wished for a role that has hours that suit the caregiving responsibilities you have, then this episode is for you.  We interview mother, social entrepreneur and founder of Jobs for Mums, Mela Lush. Mela is on a mission to help parents get work that works for everyone. Jobs for Mums is a social enterprise that connects parents and caregivers with flexible work opportunities in...

When we become mothers, we can often be surprised at the changes that it creates in our lives and this episode is a great reminder of that. Tania Domett is an all-round legend and champion of mothers. She is an entrepreneur and as well as running Cogo a research agency she founded 10 years ago she is also a co-founder of Project Gender - a feminist innovation studio delivering radical change throu...

Haylee Putaranui (Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Pahauwera) is Fonterra’s Pouhere, Director Māori Strategy . Prior to this she was the Global Lead for Diversity and Inclusion also at Fonterra. Becoming a Mum to Waiaria at 17 provided motivation to move through law school and into practise before joining Fonterra. Outside of mahi, Haylee has contributed to iwi governance roles and led...

In this episode, we interview Priscilla Chand, the founder of HIRE HER, a transformative digital talent and jobs platform for women. With over 250 successful job placements in 2 years and a growing community of 3,500 women, Priscilla is on a mission to forge a more inclusive and diverse workforce, bridging the gender gap one successful job placement at a time. Priscilla is a mother of two young gi...

We need to talk about the Motherhood Penalty. A penalty that only mothers pay when they become parents. A penalty that can last a lifetime when it comes to salary, career, and retirement savings. And a penalty that I have personally experienced. This podcast series is going to talk about the Motherhood Penalty. It is going to shine a light on what it is, get curious about the system that creates i...