2021 Working Mothers of The Year

We’ve always known that working moms are superheroes, but the past 12 months have proven there really isn’t anything they can’t handle.

Each year, She Runs It honors women who have achieved stellar business results while also serving as strong role models at work, at home and within their communities. This year’s group of resilient mothers takes it one step further, showcasing the power of compassionate leadership and determination in challenging times. We have a lot to learn from them.

Read on and help celebrate them by joining the virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Erin Riley
President, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA


A catalyst for growth, Riley guides her teams to help brand clients find their soul, new sources of demand and their place in the cultural conversation.

Keeping her career on track: Advertising, like raising children, takes a village and it is the quality of that village that determines how your business and your kids turn out. Surround yourself with great talent that gives you energy instead of draining it.

Finding new perspectives: The past year made me realize I was missing things that mattered. The endless travel, the late nights and the working weekends all meant less dinners together, less snuggles after bath time and less firsts experienced. It was a wake-up call and I hope we don’t slip back into our old routines. A combination of virtual and in-person may liberate just enough time to hold onto the small moments of parental joy.

Dawn Reese
SVP and U.S. Managing Director, UM Studios


With over 20 years of experience, Reese fearlessly leads the U.S. UM Studios teams in creating business-growing content for clients like American Express, BMW and Coca-Cola.

The way forward: We need to be kind to ourselves and recognize there was no playbook or manual for how to navigate the past 12 months. As working moms, we need to support and lift each other up since we all can learn from one another as we navigate these uncertain times.

Practicing self-care: I am incredibly blessed with a group of girlfriends that I hold near and dear to my heart. Self-care for me is calling or getting on FaceTime with one of them because I know I will laugh until my stomach hurts and all my troubles will be a distant memory.


Solange Claudio
President, Chief Client Officer, Moxie/MRY


With over 20 years of experience, Claudio is currently bringing her visionary approach to business to help Moxie and MRY drive results for clients across verticals.

Productivity secrets: Be flexible! And remember, plans are good to have to get a sense of what needs to be done, but it’s okay if the details shift as you go.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: It is super key to stick to your wellness routine—for physical health, mental wellness and self-balance—despite the pandemic. Even in good times, no one can make time for you except for you.

The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: That all these plans and tips will make everything okay. It’s not okay, and it won’t go back to the previous norms anytime soon. All we can do is keep on keeping on. That’s an accomplishment in itself.

Diane Yu
CTO, Better.Com


A dynamic leader, Yu is responsible for the strategic leadership of Better.com’s engineering team and charting the company’s long-term technology vision.

Productivity secrets: Working from home, it can be hard to switch off. So, a non-negotiable is getting outside and spending time with my daughter. I make it a point to walk her to school every morning and on the way back I walk through Central Park to clear my head and recharge and refresh before the day begins.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: Creating boundaries to clearly define my free time and stepping away for breaks is a major part of productivity for me. Planning out my week in advance is also crucial. I like to think through what I’ll need to discuss for each of my meetings to ensure I’m using my time efficiently.


Tracey Scheppach
CEO and Founder, Matter More Media


An industry pioneer, Scheppach develops strategies for clients that want to make an impact on media consumers’ shifting demographics.

Sanity saver: Focus on light. This was a lesson I learned watching my oldest son battle cancer. He always said, “the good thing is” and Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem really hit it home for me; “For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”

The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: I’ve heard a lot of people talk about teaching our children resilience and I think that sells the opportunity short. Resilience, per Webster, is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Recovery is great but growth is even better. Let’s focus on growth through adversity, together.

Stephanie Nadi Olson
Founder and CEO, We Are Rosie


After 13 years working with major brands, Olson was compelled to bust up the traditional agency structure and founded a consultancy steeped in diversity and creativity.

Productivity secrets: I ask for help—with no shame or guilt. I let my team know when I need help or when I will need a bit more time on something. And my husband and I have candid conversations about the support we need and what we can give one another, nearly daily.

Hilarious Zoom moment: My 7-year-old found this long fancy silk nightgown I was given as a wedding gift, and she was prancing around behind me on Zoom for quite a while before I realized what was happening. There are no words.

Practicing self-care: I meditate several times a week, and always before a big meeting or presentation.


Karuna Rawal
CMO, Nature’s Fynd


With over 25 years of experience, Rawal is bringing her expertise in brand management to guide food-tech startup Nature’s Fynd on its journey to commercialize a sustainable alternative protein.

Me time matters: To be able to take care of work and our families, we have to start with taking care of ourselves. It’s hard to prioritize that, but it’s been an important lesson coming out of 2020 that I hope to carry forward.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: What helps is not trying to achieve balance every single day but looking at it over a longer period of time. Whether that’s a week or a month, the day-to-day is rarely balanced. But, if you can achieve a sense of balance over the long term, you won’t end up creating stress trying to do it all in one day.

Trish Chuipek
Global Chief Client Officer, UM


Chuipek has spent her entire career doing what she loves most—partnering with clients and brands to develop innovative and business-building solutions.

Keeping her career on track: I’m having more conversations with my boss and team about how things are going, what I can be doing better, and ensuring we are having a good deal of 1-on-1 time.

Sanity saver: Finding time to be outside, no matter what the weather!

Pandemic parenting cliché to ditch: That the moments together at home are somehow less special than the moments we created while on vacations, at concerts, etc. On the contrary, I feel they’ve been even more special because it’s just been about spending time together.


Cara Christman
VP, Group Account Director, Energy BBDO


Responsible for accounts such as SC Johnson’s Pest Control Brands, Christman’s efforts have directly resulted in award-winning work.

Productivity secrets: Looking at calendars the night before for the day ahead to block coverage and priorities for the whole family half-hour by half-hour—who has conference calls, are they internal or with clients, who’s covering the boys, when is screen time absolutely necessary, when can we get them outside … and when can I take a shower!

Work/life balance during the pandemic: It’s more important than ever to set boundaries. In my house, 5:30-7:30 p.m. is sacred. It’s the only time all day my whole family is together and focused on one another—no phones, no screens, no calls.

Sanity saver: Workout videos! It’s so ’80s, but it’s gotten me through this.

Kasey O’Leary
VP, Global Enterprise, Loyalty Marketing & Creative Studio, Hilton


During her time with the hotel chain, O’Leary’s teams have won Clios, Effies and Adrian awards recognizing their campaign work and delivered performance success for Hilton.

Productivity secrets: I have embraced the fine art of balancing the act of compartmentalizing my day with a “go with it” state of mind. When I got over the idea that my home is not an office without distractions and accepted my daughter as my co-worker from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., it made it easier for me to blend my two worlds and still get everything done.

Keeping her career on track: I think this pandemic has made everyone reconsider what they are passionate about and how it impacts their career path. For me, it’s brought into focus what I am really good at coupled with what really fills my bucket.


Kathy Ring
CEO, Starcom USA


Ring oversees some of the world’s leading marketers and new establishment brands, including Allstate, Bank of America, Best Buy, Kellogg’s, Lionsgate, Samsung, Visa and more.

Productivity secrets: Know your own rhythm. What an individual needs changes over time, so do what works for you. For me, it’s less about setting boundaries and having a work/life balance; it’s about integration in a way that helps me feel productive and happy.

Practicing self-care: I’m a craft person, so I love to make gifts and cards, paint, make blankets for a local women’s shelter and arrange flowers. I find it both peaceful and fulfilling.

Keeping her career on track: I’m used to working from everywhere—hotels, airplanes, lobbies, the airport, etc. So, working from home is a huge upgrade for me. I feel more connected to the 1,500 people across four offices because I seem to see them more.

Patrice Sosoo
SVP of Brand Marketing, Dotdash


With more than 10 years of experience, Sosoo has worked with brands such as American Express, De Beers Jewellers, Elle magazine and The Spruce.

Keeping her career on track: I realized that I needed to focus on quality, not quantity. So, I shifted from trying to do everything and be everywhere to really homing in on which projects will make the most impact. By giving my full attention to fewer initiatives (and saying no to those that I can’t prioritize properly), I am able to deliver much stronger results and be a lot more creative because I’m not burned out.

Pandemic parenting cliché to ditch: I’ve seen and know so many fathers equally contributing to the household, my husband included. The cliché that dads aren’t stepping up is just not true.

Prioritize yourself: Please normalize taking a mental health day! We all need it more than ever.


Abi Evans
SVP, Client Development, Dentsu


With a strong business development background, Evans works to drive innovative, integrated solutions for client’s across Dentsu’s network.

Productivity secrets: I’m most successful when I resolve to be present in whatever I’m doing. I try to segment my attention so that when it’s time to kick into full-time parent mode, I’ve made the space to enjoy the time with my family.

Keeping her career on track: Leveraging the advantages this time affords us is key. There’s more access to busy people and an abandonment of old ways of working. Together, these have allowed me and my teams to do some of the best work of our careers because we’re unbound from legacy thinking and have renewed access to ambitious leaders who are welcoming of new ways of getting to innovative solutions.

Rita Ferro
President, Advertising Sales, The Walt Disney Company


Under Ferro’s leadership, Disney’s ad strategy has transformed to an insights-led approach that helps clients across the company’s portfolio drive maximum growth.

Productivity secrets: The best part of working from home is that without the commute, I get to have breakfast and dinner with my daughter every day. This helps keep me focused and productive all day to ensure I get to do that.

Keeping her career on track: It’s important to stay connected with industry groups, participate in speaking events and conferences, and remain connected with clients. With everything being virtual, in some ways, it’s easier and you can do more.

Nothing to see here: Moms are superheroes and have always carried a disproportionate bulk of the weight at work and at home. Covid-19 has just put a spotlight on it.


Ronnie Dickerson Stewart
DEI Leader, Executive Leadership and Career Management Coach


An award-winning DEI leader and certified management and executive leadership coach, Stewart is currently leveraging her skills to help Zoom make the world more equitable for all.

Hilarious Zoom moment: I now refer to my children in the background of any call as “ambient joy.” My bigger little guy has a penchant for bounding into the room and demanding hugs, and I’m not in the habit of denying that type of joy.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: I’ve thrown out the idea of work/life balance. I think the phase alone sets people up for unrealistic expectations. Instead, I’ve embraced the practice of work/life harmony. In seeking harmony, I work hard to ensure everything I do is aligned to my priorities and ultimately my values, so that I can be fully present and engage with zero guilt about the time I’m spending.

Christine Fruechte
CEO, Colle McVoy


Under Fruechte’s leadership, the agency has experienced incredible growth and record earnings, and has been recognized nationally as a best place to work.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: Carving out a specific space in my house just for work has been helpful, so I can shut the door at the end of the day to be present for my family. Family dinner is often the highlight of my day. It reminds me why I work as hard as I do.

Practicing self-care: I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my dog Buster. He is a great walking companion and constant reminder of life’s simple pleasures: belly rubs, treats and naps.

Sanity saver: We have a rule that you cannot eat meals at your desk. This forces us to take breaks, disconnect from work and reconnect as a family.


Johanna Bauman
CMO, PubMatic


A seasoned marketer, Bauman is responsible for all corporate marketing strategy, product marketing, brand development and sales-enablement across PubMatic.

Sanity saver: No matter the weather, we go outside every day. Whether it’s playing ball in the park or a scooter ride to daycare, it’s time away from screens for the whole family, when we can recharge and enjoy each other’s company.

The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: We need to stop talking about the “silver linings” of pandemic parenting. Every working parent is dealing with a different experience right now. For some, that experience has been truly magical. For others, we are just waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. To help each other as working parents, we need to support one another, not merely adjust perspective.

Alissa Van Volkom
SVP of Customer & Product Marketing, TD Bank


Van Volkom drives customer marketing strategy and develops integrated marketing plans to generate demand for all consumer and commercial products across the U.S. bank.

Hilarious Zoom moment: I was on a large Zoom call with my team, and as I am in the middle of giving an overview my son whispers to me “Mommy are you double muted because I have a very important LEGO question.” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing in front of the entire team.

Practicing self-care: I started running every morning. I’m running 10K distances now pretty consistently and thinking about doing a half marathon in the summer.

Pandemic parenting cliché to ditch: Most moms I know right now feel like they are failing and that’s because they are holding themselves to the age-old standard “work like we don’t parent and parent like we don’t work.” Letting go of this unrealistic standard can really set parents free.


Sheila Buckley
SVP, Sales, Dstillery


With a track record of driving record revenue growth and profitability wherever she goes, Buckley is currently leading sales to new heights at Dstillery.

The pandemic cliché she’d like to ditch: Each decade has presented its challenges for women. The pandemic is a different challenge, but mothers instinctively have a way of figuring out how to make the most of this, as we always do.

On purpose: My advice to many women, along my 30-year path, has been to make sure to maintain your own identity. Do the things that make you truly happy. Unhappiness emanates in all parts of your life, including your family. I believe my daughter and son have seen first-hand how it’s possible to be both a leader and a mother, no matter what the challenge is.

Jodi Robinson
CEO, Digitas North America


Robinson oversees all business across the U.S. for the award-winning agency, driving strategy of next-generation digital solutions across data-driven marketing, creative, media and technology.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: My approach has been to give myself—as well as my family and teammates—the permission to let some things go and not feel guilty about it.

Sanity saver: Family dinner. We never did this mid-week due to work travel and school activities. Now we do it every night—it signals the end of the work and school day in a meaningful way.

We’re all heroes: All working mothers are doing hero’s work. Like when Time magazine named its 2006 Person of the Year “You,” 2021 needs to be “All of Us.”


Emily Silver
VP of PBNA Marketing, Innovation & Capabilities, Pepsico


Having held numerous roles at PepsiCo, Silver designed and launched broad scale innovation for Mountain Dew Kickstart and was responsible for the launch of Pepsi Throwback.

Work/life balance during the pandemic: Getting outside and connecting with friends—in a Covid-safe way—is an important way to maintain balance. I have a few good working mom friends who live nearby, and we take walks a couple of times a week during the day. It’s a wonderful reset.

Hilarious Zoom moment: The other day my younger daughter came in when I was presenting to a group of external people and decided to stick her tongue out and give a thumbs down on screen … and she wouldn’t stop. Luckily, they thought it was funny.