2024 Working Mothers of the Year

Working Mothers balance client meetings with teacher conferences, work travel with travel-team schedules, revenue forecasts with family budgeting, and everything else that can happen over the course of the day. And they do it with compassion, humor and grace.

Each year, She Runs It honors mothers who have achieved outstanding business results while serving as strong role models at work, home and within their communities. These women show what’s possible when dedication, integrity and curiosity are combined into someone who leads with empathy and parents with an open heart. Read on and help celebrate them by attending the in-person awards ceremony on Feb. 29.

Shannon Jones

Co-founder, verb.

Leading a marketing consultancy focused on how consumers experience and interact with brands, Jones keeps her clients and team on top of the latest culture and entertainment trends.

Best work advice from her kids: My kiddo is three years old, so the “work advice” I can glean from him is the awe and wonder with which he approaches the world. His new favorite phrase when we go somewhere new is throwing his arms out wide and saying, “Wow, look at this place.” He applied that phrase to our new home, to a new park and he even said it recently on his first trip to Costco. In any setting, it’s a great reminder to pause and take it all in.

Wisdom for other parents: Release the shoulds. There are going to be hundreds, if not thousands, of things you read, or people tell you that you should be doing as a parent. All you need to do is love your kiddo and do your best.

Support network: My co-founder Yadira [Harrison] has been such an incredible support on my journey as a new parent. I feel like we are truly navigating these changes together. She has embraced the new demands on my schedule and the flexibility that requires, and has kept the lines of communication open when anything needs to be addressed.

Shelby Saville

Chief Investment Officer,
Publicis Media eXchange (PMX) US

A steadfast and innovative leader, Saville is known throughout the industry as a trailblazer in digital strategy.

Wisdom for other parents: Stay off parenting groups on social media. They can be full of people expounding on the “right way” to be a family. Every family is unique, with unique challenges, and you get to make decisions that are right for you. Life is hard enough without comparing yourself to other families.

A world of choices: Being a working mother means setting an example for my daughter. I want her to see that with hard work, determination and grit, there aren’t limits on her because she is a woman. She can decide to be a working parent, a stay-at-home parent or not a parent at all. All choices come with difficulties, but I want to show her it is her choice, and she can actively build a life she loves.

Support network: I’m lucky that I work in an industry that I’ve found to be filled with parents. Very rarely have I reached out to someone with kids about some challenge I’m facing that they have not been extremely receptive and helpful.

Leigh Anna Trelenberg

Director of U.S. Media, Mattel

In her newly promoted role at Mattel, Trelenberg oversees advertising for Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, Trolls and Monster High.

Pay it forward: When I told my larger Mattel marketing team that I was pregnant, a few of the other moms on the team took me out to lunch. We celebrated, but I also got their advice and their help navigating things like the parental leave process. They even shared some extra baby clothes. It was such a safe space to be both a parent and a colleague and made me feel like I would not just tackle but succeed in the next phase of my life. I hope to find ways that I can pay it forward to the next group of working moms.

Support network: My husband. He has championed me throughout my entire adult life, including this most important (and exhausting) phase. Just when we think we have something figured out, it changes—but we’re navigating it together.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Being a working mom is part of what makes me feel fulfilled, so that I can show up as a better parent to my children. I have also been fortunate to meet a lot of other working parents who have provided support, mentorship and community. As a bonus: Working on Barbie has given me some cool points with my 3-year-old daughter, and I’m going to maximize that for as long as she will let me.

Shannon Jones

Co-founder, verb.

Leading a marketing consultancy focused on how consumers experience and interact with brands, Jones keeps her clients and team on top of the latest culture and entertainment trends.

Best work advice from her kids: My kiddo is three years old, so the “work advice” I can glean from him is the awe and wonder with which he approaches the world. His new favorite phrase when we go somewhere new is throwing his arms out wide and saying, “Wow, look at this place.” He applied that phrase to our new home, to a new park and he even said it recently on his first trip to Costco. In any setting, it’s a great reminder to pause and take it all in.

Wisdom for other parents: Release the shoulds. There are going to be hundreds, if not thousands, of things you read, or people tell you that you should be doing as a parent. All you need to do is love your kiddo and do your best.

Support network: My co-founder Yadira [Harrison] has been such an incredible support on my journey as a new parent. I feel like we are truly navigating these changes together. She has embraced the new demands on my schedule and the flexibility that requires, and has kept the lines of communication open when anything needs to be addressed.

Shelby Saville

Chief Investment Officer,
Publicis Media eXchange (PMX) US

A steadfast and innovative leader, Saville is known throughout the industry as a trailblazer in digital strategy.

Wisdom for other parents: Stay off parenting groups on social media. They can be full of people expounding on the “right way” to be a family. Every family is unique, with unique challenges, and you get to make decisions that are right for you. Life is hard enough without comparing yourself to other families.

A world of choices: Being a working mother means setting an example for my daughter. I want her to see that with hard work, determination and grit, there aren’t limits on her because she is a woman. She can decide to be a working parent, a stay-at-home parent or not a parent at all. All choices come with difficulties, but I want to show her it is her choice, and she can actively build a life she loves.

Support network: I’m lucky that I work in an industry that I’ve found to be filled with parents. Very rarely have I reached out to someone with kids about some challenge I’m facing that they have not been extremely receptive and helpful.

Leigh Anna Trelenberg

Director of U.S. Media, Mattel

In her newly promoted role at Mattel, Trelenberg oversees advertising for Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, Trolls and Monster High.

Pay it forward: When I told my larger Mattel marketing team that I was pregnant, a few of the other moms on the team took me out to lunch. We celebrated, but I also got their advice and their help navigating things like the parental leave process. They even shared some extra baby clothes. It was such a safe space to be both a parent and a colleague and made me feel like I would not just tackle but succeed in the next phase of my life. I hope to find ways that I can pay it forward to the next group of working moms.

Support network: My husband. He has championed me throughout my entire adult life, including this most important (and exhausting) phase. Just when we think we have something figured out, it changes—but we’re navigating it together.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Being a working mom is part of what makes me feel fulfilled, so that I can show up as a better parent to my children. I have also been fortunate to meet a lot of other working parents who have provided support, mentorship and community. As a bonus: Working on Barbie has given me some cool points with my 3-year-old daughter, and I’m going to maximize that for as long as she will let me.

Jenny Chau Lin

Chief Solutions Officer, Channel Factory

Since joining Channel Factory in 2015, Lin has built a world-class client and campaign services team for North America.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood forced me to shed the illusion of doing it all. Instead, I embraced the power of prioritizing and making conscious choices about what truly matters, both for my family and my professional goals. This clarity led to greater efficiency, sharper focus and, ultimately, newfound career confidence. Let your to-do list be a compass, not a cage!

Best work advice from her kids: I have used “don’t freak out” to calm my son down on many, many occasions, but what I wasn’t expecting was the day he turned the tables around and used it on me.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? I like the "work where you thrive" model, which is hybrid but without a requirement on X days/week that someone needs to be in the office. Since 2020, I have experienced the power of remote work firsthand. Eliminating the nearly two-hour commute transformed my days, allowing me to not only get through more of my workload but also cherish precious moments with my family.

Kimberly King

VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal

King is a dynamic media executive with an extensive career at the intersection of culture across television, digital music and print.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Being the mother of a Black, pre-teen boy in America, my work is consistently inspired by the curiosity in his questioning and watching him grow while being challenged simultaneously. I am determined to create intersections in this inclusion work where we not only see reflections of ourselves, but also create new opportunities to experience others.

Wisdom for other parents: We all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé. Manage your personal calendar as you would your professional calendar—the schedule is your friend.

Best work advice from her kids: The best piece of advice my son has given me is to keep going despite your circumstances because it showcases your character. One of our family rules is keep the confidence and do the work. We’ve been building that muscle since he was a toddler. So, for him to be as self-aware of his own value proposition to share it with me, feels like we’re heading in the right direction.

Andrea Kerr Redniss

Managing Director, MediaLink

Challenging the industry to bring fresh thinking to brands, Redniss is a business transformation leader who works with some of the largest and most respected enterprises in the world.

Support network: Early on I learned about the concept of the mental burden. So, my husband does not “help” me—we co-parent. For example, he manages all the sports. He talks to all the coaches and manages all the schedules, which balances with me being the lead with the school, teachers and homework. Then the wonderful secret asset that makes all this work is my mom, or Mimi to the kids. She is always there to help when I have to work late or travel.

Wisdom for other parents: Pick one great unisex toy per year and buy it in bulk to have as the birthday gift for the year. Before Covid, we averaged 40 birthday parties a year.

Find the right fit: I am very fortunate to have found a great work home that values and enables diversity of all kinds (including working mothers), alongside great client work. Early on at MediaLink I had a major client conflict with a child’s preschool graduation, which we all know is small in the big picture but meant the world to me at the time. After stressing about this for a few days I called [chairman and CEO] Michael Kassan and told him the issue. He said, “It is not even a question, go to the preschool graduation, I will cover the client meeting.” He called the client, smoothed it over and covered the meeting for me. I knew then that I had found my work home.

Jenny Chau Lin

Chief Solutions Officer, Channel Factory

Since joining Channel Factory in 2015, Lin has built a world-class client and campaign services team for North America.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood forced me to shed the illusion of doing it all. Instead, I embraced the power of prioritizing and making conscious choices about what truly matters, both for my family and my professional goals. This clarity led to greater efficiency, sharper focus and, ultimately, newfound career confidence. Let your to-do list be a compass, not a cage!

Best work advice from her kids: I have used “don’t freak out” to calm my son down on many, many occasions, but what I wasn’t expecting was the day he turned the tables around and used it on me.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? I like the "work where you thrive" model, which is hybrid but without a requirement on X days/week that someone needs to be in the office. Since 2020, I have experienced the power of remote work firsthand. Eliminating the nearly two-hour commute transformed my days, allowing me to not only get through more of my workload but also cherish precious moments with my family.

Kimberly King

VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal

King is a dynamic media executive with an extensive career at the intersection of culture across television, digital music and print.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Being the mother of a Black, pre-teen boy in America, my work is consistently inspired by the curiosity in his questioning and watching him grow while being challenged simultaneously. I am determined to create intersections in this inclusion work where we not only see reflections of ourselves, but also create new opportunities to experience others.

Wisdom for other parents: We all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé. Manage your personal calendar as you would your professional calendar—the schedule is your friend.

Best work advice from her kids: The best piece of advice my son has given me is to keep going despite your circumstances because it showcases your character. One of our family rules is keep the confidence and do the work. We’ve been building that muscle since he was a toddler. So, for him to be as self-aware of his own value proposition to share it with me, feels like we’re heading in the right direction.

Andrea Kerr Redniss

Managing Director, MediaLink

Challenging the industry to bring fresh thinking to brands, Redniss is a business transformation leader who works with some of the largest and most respected enterprises in the world.

Support network: Early on I learned about the concept of the mental burden. So, my husband does not “help” me—we co-parent. For example, he manages all the sports. He talks to all the coaches and manages all the schedules, which balances with me being the lead with the school, teachers and homework. Then the wonderful secret asset that makes all this work is my mom, or Mimi to the kids. She is always there to help when I have to work late or travel.

Wisdom for other parents: Pick one great unisex toy per year and buy it in bulk to have as the birthday gift for the year. Before Covid, we averaged 40 birthday parties a year.

Find the right fit: I am very fortunate to have found a great work home that values and enables diversity of all kinds (including working mothers), alongside great client work. Early on at MediaLink I had a major client conflict with a child’s preschool graduation, which we all know is small in the big picture but meant the world to me at the time. After stressing about this for a few days I called [chairman and CEO] Michael Kassan and told him the issue. He said, “It is not even a question, go to the preschool graduation, I will cover the client meeting.” He called the client, smoothed it over and covered the meeting for me. I knew then that I had found my work home.

Melissa Wasserman

Head of Marketing, Samsung Ads

An innovative leader, Wasserman has a history of elevating brands and driving revenue growth in media, entertainment, lifestyle and technology.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has taught me a great deal about balance, that being a mom and a manager is a little like a high-wire act, and sometimes success is in getting to the other side intact.

Support network: I go to my mom still, who is in her mid-80s. She is my role model and worked in a competitive field my whole childhood. She set a great example.

Fill your cup: Most families need dual incomes just to survive, let alone thrive. So, with being a working mother being a necessity, you should do whatever you can to make that a positive experience for both yourself and your loved ones. Anything that takes you away from them should have something in it that is fulfilling for you.

Tracy Keller

Director of Sales, Disney

Keller is a senior sales and marketing executive with over 18 years of premium video and branded content experience.

Support network: I have a tight network of working mom friends who give me strength and are my sounding board. They provide me with real-time advice that stabilizes my sanity. I also lean on my parents and in-laws to give me the confidence that I’m making the right decisions as a parent.

Wisdom for other parents: Just when you think that you’ve mastered one stage of parenting, you are onto the next phase, and it only gets more challenging. Give yourself some grace.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has made me approach work with more purpose. It has amplified my empathy, patience and time management skills. Not only am I responsible in setting a good example for my kids, but also for my team at work.

Ashley Buxton

Managing Director, Initiative

Buxton leads media strategies for Rufus, a division of Initiative dedicated to the Amazon business.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Juggling and managing both a busy career and two young children has made me realize I can be multiple things at once ... that I can be a good mom and an executive. It’s made me realize that the messy imperfection of being a working mom to two toddlers is a beautiful and joyful thing. It has given me more confidence in myself.

Wisdom for other parents: Know that you are not alone. Whether you are a parent or not, life takes a village and it is okay to ask for support or advice from your family, your teammates, your bosses for whatever is causing you stress or anxiety.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has prompted me to optimize my work week to get as much done from 9 to 5 as I can through better prioritization and organization. I’m no longer able to push my working hours into the evening as I am on the clock at 5:30 as a parent with two hungry and loud toddlers. It’s also increased my empathy as a manager and as a human since everyone has lots of things going on in their lives and I want to ensure that I’m providing support to my team, just as they support me.

Melissa Wasserman

Head of Marketing, Samsung Ads

An innovative leader, Wasserman has a history of elevating brands and driving revenue growth in media, entertainment, lifestyle and technology.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has taught me a great deal about balance, that being a mom and a manager is a little like a high-wire act, and sometimes success is in getting to the other side intact.

Support network: I go to my mom still, who is in her mid-80s. She is my role model and worked in a competitive field my whole childhood. She set a great example.

Fill your cup: Most families need dual incomes just to survive, let alone thrive. So, with being a working mother being a necessity, you should do whatever you can to make that a positive experience for both yourself and your loved ones. Anything that takes you away from them should have something in it that is fulfilling for you.

Tracy Keller

Director of Sales, Disney

Keller is a senior sales and marketing executive with over 18 years of premium video and branded content experience.

Support network: I have a tight network of working mom friends who give me strength and are my sounding board. They provide me with real-time advice that stabilizes my sanity. I also lean on my parents and in-laws to give me the confidence that I’m making the right decisions as a parent.

Wisdom for other parents: Just when you think that you’ve mastered one stage of parenting, you are onto the next phase, and it only gets more challenging. Give yourself some grace.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has made me approach work with more purpose. It has amplified my empathy, patience and time management skills. Not only am I responsible in setting a good example for my kids, but also for my team at work.

Ashley Buxton

Managing Director, Initiative

Buxton leads media strategies for Rufus, a division of Initiative dedicated to the Amazon business.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Juggling and managing both a busy career and two young children has made me realize I can be multiple things at once ... that I can be a good mom and an executive. It’s made me realize that the messy imperfection of being a working mom to two toddlers is a beautiful and joyful thing. It has given me more confidence in myself.

Wisdom for other parents: Know that you are not alone. Whether you are a parent or not, life takes a village and it is okay to ask for support or advice from your family, your teammates, your bosses for whatever is causing you stress or anxiety.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has prompted me to optimize my work week to get as much done from 9 to 5 as I can through better prioritization and organization. I’m no longer able to push my working hours into the evening as I am on the clock at 5:30 as a parent with two hungry and loud toddlers. It’s also increased my empathy as a manager and as a human since everyone has lots of things going on in their lives and I want to ensure that I’m providing support to my team, just as they support me.

Nikki Buchanan

Senior Director, Head of Cultural Strategy and Multicultural Sales, SiriusXM Media

The national lead for multicultural audiences and consumer insights, Buchanan bridges the gap between culture, community and engagement.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Building the cultural strategy for a multicultural team demands a keen understanding of cultural shifts. I apply the same hyper-curiosity to discover and support my son’s interests whether it is in music, gaming, sports or entertainment.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Embracing the hybrid model acknowledges the value of connecting with colleagues while recognizing diverse childcare resources for parents. As moms, our multitasking superpower increases with the freedom to choose how we work based on daily or weekly demands. Having the flexibility to own how we manage our work setup is a critical element to maintaining productivity and job satisfaction.

Shaping future generations: Working motherhood can often feel like you are juggling multiple balls while riding a unicycle on a freeway—it is hard! Amid the intensity, we must remember that how we choose to navigate this journey will shape our kids' understanding of work/life balance. I always try to accurately showcase what it takes to push out excellence in the chaos.

Emilee Cavis

VP, Sports Brand Partnerships, Content Studio and Digital Strategy, FOX Sports

For the past 15 years, Cavis has seamlessly integrated brands into FOX Sports’ biggest tentpole sporting events.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: A daily mantra of mine is, “Control what you can control.” Applying this to being a parent has been helpful in realizing that I can’t control every aspect of every day when it comes to my kids. This is a great reminder to focus on putting my energy on things I can control, like quality time spent with them.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Currently, I work remote, and I love the flexibility it affords me. Cutting out the commute gives me more time in the mornings and evenings with my family. I do travel a lot for my job, so balance and boundaries are important, especially when I’m at home. If my office door is shut, my kids know I’m in work mode. Otherwise, they are free to come in if they need me.

Best work advice from her kids: This isn’t necessarily advice, but something my kids have really helped me with is looking at the world in a different way. Especially in a creative role, it amazes me how they see the world, and it truly influences me more than I ever expected, especially from two young girls who know nothing about advertising.

Wendi Dunlap

EVP, Business Intelligence and Audience Sciences, Mediahub

Dunlap has built her career pioneering new technologies and integrating data-driven intelligence into marketing strategy.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has made me a better manager. Raising a neurodiverse son and spending time with his neurodiverse friends, I had to learn to appreciate diverse learning and communication styles. This increased my sensitivity to neurodiversity in the workplace and the need to make space for all kinds of thinkers.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Hybrid work gives working mothers, and especially single mothers, more flexibility to manage commitments. When I started my career in advertising, I was the only mother among the entry-level assistants. There were times when I was afraid to take a day off for a sick child or a school meeting. Fortunately, early in my career, senior-level women destigmatized the juggle and gave me the flexibility to be a mom and a professional. I try to pay this forward.

Wisdom for other parents: Whether you’re single or married, you need a team—especially if you’re raising a neurodiverse child. Build a team of therapists, spiritual counselors, trusted caregivers and advisors who can be there for both you and your child. Parenting will be the hardest thing you ever do. Do not try to do it alone. You are not superhuman, but you are doing your best. Be kind to yourself—rest, recharge and rally the team when you’re depleted.

Nikki Buchanan

Senior Director, Head of Cultural Strategy and Multicultural Sales, SiriusXM Media

The national lead for multicultural audiences and consumer insights, Buchanan bridges the gap between culture, community and engagement.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Building the cultural strategy for a multicultural team demands a keen understanding of cultural shifts. I apply the same hyper-curiosity to discover and support my son’s interests whether it is in music, gaming, sports or entertainment.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Embracing the hybrid model acknowledges the value of connecting with colleagues while recognizing diverse childcare resources for parents. As moms, our multitasking superpower increases with the freedom to choose how we work based on daily or weekly demands. Having the flexibility to own how we manage our work setup is a critical element to maintaining productivity and job satisfaction.

Shaping future generations: Working motherhood can often feel like you are juggling multiple balls while riding a unicycle on a freeway—it is hard! Amid the intensity, we must remember that how we choose to navigate this journey will shape our kids' understanding of work/life balance. I always try to accurately showcase what it takes to push out excellence in the chaos.

Emilee Cavis

VP, Sports Brand Partnerships, Content Studio and Digital Strategy, FOX Sports

For the past 15 years, Cavis has seamlessly integrated brands into FOX Sports’ biggest tentpole sporting events.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: A daily mantra of mine is, “Control what you can control.” Applying this to being a parent has been helpful in realizing that I can’t control every aspect of every day when it comes to my kids. This is a great reminder to focus on putting my energy on things I can control, like quality time spent with them.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Currently, I work remote, and I love the flexibility it affords me. Cutting out the commute gives me more time in the mornings and evenings with my family. I do travel a lot for my job, so balance and boundaries are important, especially when I’m at home. If my office door is shut, my kids know I’m in work mode. Otherwise, they are free to come in if they need me.

Best work advice from her kids: This isn’t necessarily advice, but something my kids have really helped me with is looking at the world in a different way. Especially in a creative role, it amazes me how they see the world, and it truly influences me more than I ever expected, especially from two young girls who know nothing about advertising.

Wendi Dunlap

EVP, Business Intelligence and Audience Sciences, Mediahub

Dunlap has built her career pioneering new technologies and integrating data-driven intelligence into marketing strategy.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has made me a better manager. Raising a neurodiverse son and spending time with his neurodiverse friends, I had to learn to appreciate diverse learning and communication styles. This increased my sensitivity to neurodiversity in the workplace and the need to make space for all kinds of thinkers.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Hybrid work gives working mothers, and especially single mothers, more flexibility to manage commitments. When I started my career in advertising, I was the only mother among the entry-level assistants. There were times when I was afraid to take a day off for a sick child or a school meeting. Fortunately, early in my career, senior-level women destigmatized the juggle and gave me the flexibility to be a mom and a professional. I try to pay this forward.

Wisdom for other parents: Whether you’re single or married, you need a team—especially if you’re raising a neurodiverse child. Build a team of therapists, spiritual counselors, trusted caregivers and advisors who can be there for both you and your child. Parenting will be the hardest thing you ever do. Do not try to do it alone. You are not superhuman, but you are doing your best. Be kind to yourself—rest, recharge and rally the team when you’re depleted.

Andrea Suarez

Global CEO, UM

With over 20 years of experience spanning business development to team leadership and operations, Suarez is a client- and people-first leader.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: As a mother of twin boys and a daughter born 18 months later, I had to hone my organizational and prioritization skills, which are essential tools at home, as well as at work. Similarly, having three kids so close in age highlighted the importance of always having a support network and always being extremely resourceful to make the magic expected from moms (and CEOs) happen.

Wisdom for other parents: Sharing and being vulnerable with those around you will most likely result in connecting with others who have been in similar situations and who likely will provide great support.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work helps me to teach my kids the power of hard work, dedication and commitment, and helps me show them why it’s critical to understand your passions and to find a job that aligns with those passions. Nothing better than making a life from doing what you love.

Maria Teresa Hernandez

SVP, Brand Partnerships and Head of Diverse Supplier Marketplace, Mirriad

Hernandez is responsible for virtual brand placement and also leads the entertainment tech firm’s growing Multicultural Marketplace.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: My work accomplishments and milestones, not only as a mother but as a Latina in advertising, fuel my confidence as a parent reminding me how far I’ve come and how far I’ve yet to go. This is a constant message I pass on to my children; to be comfortable in their confidence in knowing they’re capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.  

Best work advice from her kids: I just asked my 6-year-old if he had any advice for me at work and he said: “To make friends, just walk up to someone and say, ‘Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream, too?’ I promise it’ll work.” Sounds legit to me!

Office? Remote? Hybrid? For me, it’s remote. The flexibility not only gives me time back while alleviating the commuter stress that came from trekking into NYC from Jersey daily, but I’m also more present for my children which is worth its weight in gold.

Meredith Tehan

SVP of Sales, Cognitiv

Tehan’s experience in mentoring and building successful sales teams has led to bringing industry-best solutions to the market, driving results and performance.

Wisdom for other parents: Set the right expectations with your employer. Hiring a working mother means you’re hiring someone who knows how to manage a lot of priorities at once and while they might need to run out for a doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day, they will get the work done. And it will likely be completed in full and better than you could have expected.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Learning that I’m not going to win every deal and every situation was a huge part of my success as a sales leader and that’s been a big one at home—my son is a great negotiator. So now I know when to walk away from a bad deal as a parent.

This is for the moms: I continue to be impressed by the working mothers around me. I am in awe of what we can accomplish when given the opportunity. We’re leading companies, strategies and teams while raising families on our own terms. Who runs the world? Working Moms!

Andrea Suarez

Global CEO, UM

With over 20 years of experience spanning business development to team leadership and operations, Suarez is a client- and people-first leader.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: As a mother of twin boys and a daughter born 18 months later, I had to hone my organizational and prioritization skills, which are essential tools at home, as well as at work. Similarly, having three kids so close in age highlighted the importance of always having a support network and always being extremely resourceful to make the magic expected from moms (and CEOs) happen.

Wisdom for other parents: Sharing and being vulnerable with those around you will most likely result in connecting with others who have been in similar situations and who likely will provide great support.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work helps me to teach my kids the power of hard work, dedication and commitment, and helps me show them why it’s critical to understand your passions and to find a job that aligns with those passions. Nothing better than making a life from doing what you love.

Maria Teresa Hernandez

SVP, Brand Partnerships and Head of Diverse Supplier Marketplace, Mirriad

Hernandez is responsible for virtual brand placement and also leads the entertainment tech firm’s growing Multicultural Marketplace.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: My work accomplishments and milestones, not only as a mother but as a Latina in advertising, fuel my confidence as a parent reminding me how far I’ve come and how far I’ve yet to go. This is a constant message I pass on to my children; to be comfortable in their confidence in knowing they’re capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.  

Best work advice from her kids: I just asked my 6-year-old if he had any advice for me at work and he said: “To make friends, just walk up to someone and say, ‘Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream, too?’ I promise it’ll work.” Sounds legit to me!

Office? Remote? Hybrid? For me, it’s remote. The flexibility not only gives me time back while alleviating the commuter stress that came from trekking into NYC from Jersey daily, but I’m also more present for my children which is worth its weight in gold.

Meredith Tehan

SVP of Sales, Cognitiv

Tehan’s experience in mentoring and building successful sales teams has led to bringing industry-best solutions to the market, driving results and performance.

Wisdom for other parents: Set the right expectations with your employer. Hiring a working mother means you’re hiring someone who knows how to manage a lot of priorities at once and while they might need to run out for a doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day, they will get the work done. And it will likely be completed in full and better than you could have expected.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Learning that I’m not going to win every deal and every situation was a huge part of my success as a sales leader and that’s been a big one at home—my son is a great negotiator. So now I know when to walk away from a bad deal as a parent.

This is for the moms: I continue to be impressed by the working mothers around me. I am in awe of what we can accomplish when given the opportunity. We’re leading companies, strategies and teams while raising families on our own terms. Who runs the world? Working Moms!

Rachael Donnelly

CMO, Experian

Marketing veteran Donnelly gets excited translating complex technical solutions into easy-to-understand value propositions for her brands.

Best work advice from her kids: It isn’t advice per se, but a state of mind: Being younger, my children question everything, so whenever I say that I am doing something for work, they will ask a million questions. There is nothing like trying to explain meetings, presentations and budgets to small children, and I am very cognizant of being patient in answering their questions and not being dismissive of their interest.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work allows me to grow and learn as a person. I am multi-faceted: I am a woman, a friend, a wife, a daughter, a colleague and a mother. Having a place to explore different facets of myself, to challenge myself and to feed that other part of me, allows me to come home at the end of the day even more fulfilled and ready to be Mom for my girls.

Make the time: A piece of advice: Make time for the holiday concert. Go to the zoo field trip. They are only this age once.

Molly Kennedy

Head of Global Dove Men+Care Skin Cleansing, Unilever

While at Unilever, Kennedy has built a legacy of impactful work, making Dove part of the cultural conversation.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: I am a better parent when I can invest my mental and emotional energy in work. It makes me a more engaged, present parent in the time I spend with my kids. I also love that my kids believe it’s normal and expected that everyone works—women, men, moms and dads. Role modeling that gender balance for my son as well as my daughters is just one small step I can take toward building an equitable future.

Release the pressure: The pressure to be everything to everyone, to do everything (wife, mother, career) and to do it all well, has only compounded today. America Ferrera’s monologue in Barbie encapsulates the tension well, even if it’s about womanhood, not motherhood specifically. To be a working mother today, you have to be kind to yourself.

Support network: I have a lot of help and can’t imagine making it all work without that support. My husband truly shares the load and makes it possible—from spending time with the kids, jumping in when I have work commitments or travel, to helping me feel less guilty when I can’t be there. I have mom friends I can rely on when I need it. Finally, over the course of my career, I have worked with such understanding and supportive teams. There is an understanding that if the work gets done on time, and is done well, it doesn’t matter when.

Sakinah Charbeneau

Director of DEI, Omnicom Media Group

Currently overseeing DEI for 12 agencies, Charbeneau leads transformational initiatives to help attract and retain diverse talent.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has put so much into perspective for me. I try to remember that my task list will never end, so I focus on the most pressing deliverables to avoid burnout. I put myself in the shoes of my employees to be a better leader. And I’ve realized that if I fail at something, it’s not the end of the world and I will only grow personally and professionally.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work has surprisingly helped me find balance. The same energy I put into presentations, events and meetings is the same energy I have to dedicate to activities for my husband and children.

Support network: Motherhood is truly a journey, so as a parent, I lean on other moms for support. I am part of a Mom Squad which includes amazing women ranging from single moms to working moms and everything in between. We help each other with unexpected school closures, career advice and relationship challenges. Having a support system of moms who are navigating similar obstacles is invaluable.

Rachael Donnelly

CMO, Experian

Marketing veteran Donnelly gets excited translating complex technical solutions into easy-to-understand value propositions for her brands.

Best work advice from her kids: It isn’t advice per se, but a state of mind: Being younger, my children question everything, so whenever I say that I am doing something for work, they will ask a million questions. There is nothing like trying to explain meetings, presentations and budgets to small children, and I am very cognizant of being patient in answering their questions and not being dismissive of their interest.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work allows me to grow and learn as a person. I am multi-faceted: I am a woman, a friend, a wife, a daughter, a colleague and a mother. Having a place to explore different facets of myself, to challenge myself and to feed that other part of me, allows me to come home at the end of the day even more fulfilled and ready to be Mom for my girls.

Make the time: A piece of advice: Make time for the holiday concert. Go to the zoo field trip. They are only this age once.

Molly Kennedy

Head of Global Dove Men+Care Skin Cleansing, Unilever

While at Unilever, Kennedy has built a legacy of impactful work, making Dove part of the cultural conversation.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: I am a better parent when I can invest my mental and emotional energy in work. It makes me a more engaged, present parent in the time I spend with my kids. I also love that my kids believe it’s normal and expected that everyone works—women, men, moms and dads. Role modeling that gender balance for my son as well as my daughters is just one small step I can take toward building an equitable future.

Release the pressure: The pressure to be everything to everyone, to do everything (wife, mother, career) and to do it all well, has only compounded today. America Ferrera’s monologue in Barbie encapsulates the tension well, even if it’s about womanhood, not motherhood specifically. To be a working mother today, you have to be kind to yourself.

Support network: I have a lot of help and can’t imagine making it all work without that support. My husband truly shares the load and makes it possible—from spending time with the kids, jumping in when I have work commitments or travel, to helping me feel less guilty when I can’t be there. I have mom friends I can rely on when I need it. Finally, over the course of my career, I have worked with such understanding and supportive teams. There is an understanding that if the work gets done on time, and is done well, it doesn’t matter when.

Sakinah Charbeneau

Director of DEI, Omnicom Media Group

Currently overseeing DEI for 12 agencies, Charbeneau leads transformational initiatives to help attract and retain diverse talent.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has put so much into perspective for me. I try to remember that my task list will never end, so I focus on the most pressing deliverables to avoid burnout. I put myself in the shoes of my employees to be a better leader. And I’ve realized that if I fail at something, it’s not the end of the world and I will only grow personally and professionally.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work has surprisingly helped me find balance. The same energy I put into presentations, events and meetings is the same energy I have to dedicate to activities for my husband and children.

Support network: Motherhood is truly a journey, so as a parent, I lean on other moms for support. I am part of a Mom Squad which includes amazing women ranging from single moms to working moms and everything in between. We help each other with unexpected school closures, career advice and relationship challenges. Having a support system of moms who are navigating similar obstacles is invaluable.

Misty Bell Stiers

Head of Inclusion, Citi Design
and User Experience, Citibank

Stiers is dedicated to empowering herself and her colleagues to provide experiences that enable all of Citi’s customers to feel seen, valued and heard.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work is often seen as a foil to parenthood. But I have found, especially in this world of hybrid schedules, that my job allows my children to see me as more than their mom. They hear me on calls, they ask me about what my day looks like—they understand keenly what it is I do. And I can talk to them about it, about why it’s important to me, why I feel so driven.

Best work advice from her kids: Every day when I drop my son off at school, I remind him to be kind and curious. He always answers me with, “I hope you have fun today with all the people you like most.” I can’t imagine a better way to think of my job.

Wisdom for other parents: Always, always take more pictures of you with your kids.

Lori Goode

CMO, Index Exchange

Under Goode’s leadership, Index Exchange has undergone transformative changes, including the redefinition of the company’s mission, vision and positioning.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has taught me to set boundaries, prioritize the things that matter and give myself more grace when I don’t feel like I’m able to do it all. I’m also constantly reminded of the demands every individual has on them outside of work (whether they’re parents or not), and that helps me operate at work with deeper empathy.

Wisdom for other parents: Pay attention to yourself. When things are starting to feel unbalanced or unsettled, take time to understand what’s not working, and make a change.

Always changing, always rewarding: I’ve seen incredible progress in setting working mothers up for success in the 14 years I’ve been a mom. Being a working mother is dynamic and will always be evolving. From the stage you are in your career (and expectations of you), to the support of your company and policies, to the age of your children and the fluctuations of their dependency and need, to the status of your partner and their support. Just when something balances out, another variable changes. It’s one of the most challenging roles, one of the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding.

Sarah Ivey

Chief Strategy Officer,
Havas Media Network

As a strategist with more than two decades of agency-side experience, building brand worlds is one of Ivey’s passions.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: One of the biggest shifts in thinking I had to make was accepting that I would always wear two hats. When I became a mother, I had this mindset that I had to switch magically between the two roles whenever I was physically at work or at home. Then I realized that the more I accepted both sides of my world, the better parent I was. With my daughter now in university and thinking through her career path, those lessons are even more valuable now.

Wisdom for other parents: Know that you’re doing great. No, really, you’re doing great. It’s not perfect but everyone around you is doing their best—so extend that kindness to yourself.

Still work to do: I got a call once from a bright, sparky woman on our Argentinian team who told me that I was the only C-Suite woman that she knew. We may, in North America, hold our standards high when it comes to parental rights and pay equity and access and representation. That’s a great privilege, but also a great responsibility—many women worldwide do not have these opportunities. This is all to say, we cannot take this for granted or take the pressure off our desire for progress and change.

Misty Bell Stiers

Head of Inclusion, Citi Design
and User Experience, Citibank

Stiers is dedicated to empowering herself and her colleagues to provide experiences that enable all of Citi’s customers to feel seen, valued and heard.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: Work is often seen as a foil to parenthood. But I have found, especially in this world of hybrid schedules, that my job allows my children to see me as more than their mom. They hear me on calls, they ask me about what my day looks like—they understand keenly what it is I do. And I can talk to them about it, about why it’s important to me, why I feel so driven.

Best work advice from her kids: Every day when I drop my son off at school, I remind him to be kind and curious. He always answers me with, “I hope you have fun today with all the people you like most.” I can’t imagine a better way to think of my job.

Wisdom for other parents: Always, always take more pictures of you with your kids.

Lori Goode

CMO, Index Exchange

Under Goode’s leadership, Index Exchange has undergone transformative changes, including the redefinition of the company’s mission, vision and positioning.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: Motherhood has taught me to set boundaries, prioritize the things that matter and give myself more grace when I don’t feel like I’m able to do it all. I’m also constantly reminded of the demands every individual has on them outside of work (whether they’re parents or not), and that helps me operate at work with deeper empathy.

Wisdom for other parents: Pay attention to yourself. When things are starting to feel unbalanced or unsettled, take time to understand what’s not working, and make a change.

Always changing, always rewarding: I’ve seen incredible progress in setting working mothers up for success in the 14 years I’ve been a mom. Being a working mother is dynamic and will always be evolving. From the stage you are in your career (and expectations of you), to the support of your company and policies, to the age of your children and the fluctuations of their dependency and need, to the status of your partner and their support. Just when something balances out, another variable changes. It’s one of the most challenging roles, one of the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding.

Sarah Ivey

Chief Strategy Officer,
Havas Media Network

As a strategist with more than two decades of agency-side experience, building brand worlds is one of Ivey’s passions.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: One of the biggest shifts in thinking I had to make was accepting that I would always wear two hats. When I became a mother, I had this mindset that I had to switch magically between the two roles whenever I was physically at work or at home. Then I realized that the more I accepted both sides of my world, the better parent I was. With my daughter now in university and thinking through her career path, those lessons are even more valuable now.

Wisdom for other parents: Know that you’re doing great. No, really, you’re doing great. It’s not perfect but everyone around you is doing their best—so extend that kindness to yourself.

Still work to do: I got a call once from a bright, sparky woman on our Argentinian team who told me that I was the only C-Suite woman that she knew. We may, in North America, hold our standards high when it comes to parental rights and pay equity and access and representation. That’s a great privilege, but also a great responsibility—many women worldwide do not have these opportunities. This is all to say, we cannot take this for granted or take the pressure off our desire for progress and change.

Gina Preoteasa

EVP, Client Success, Kite Hill PR

A communications and PR strategist, Preoteasa has nearly 20 years of experience working alongside enterprises and startups.

How motherhood helped her succeed at work: As a mom of three, I am always trying to put myself in the shoes of my children and empathize with them to help them. I think this approach conditions you to be more empathetic in general and have a greater ability to connect and lead teams.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? I started working remotely after I had my first child 12 years ago and have been working remotely or in a hybrid environment since then. I can’t imagine having to commute to an office daily and being the parent that I want to be. Flexibility is important because everyone has different needs.

Wisdom for other parents: Advocate for yourself. Think about the work life you want to have and try to make it happen in partnership with your employer. Being intentional with your schedule and setup will help you to bring your best self to work and home.

Suzie Bao

Group Account Director, Quigley Simpson

Bao has been a strategic marketing leader for top brands across financial services, telecom, automotive, technology and entertainment.

How work helped her succeed as a parent: I run my household like I run my accounts: leading a team for a common goal, strategizing for the best outcome, multi-tasking projects, to name a few. As a transformative leader, I play a similar persona as a role model to my kids.

Wisdom for other parents: I made the mistake of trying to be a Supermom early in my working motherhood, and that is an impossible and unrealistic goal. Instead, I learned to say “no.” No is a complete sentence. Learning how valuable time is and that my value is not time, but what I bring to the table, was the biggest lesson I had to learn the hard way. Figure out your own value and learn to say no.

Motivated by the future: As a working mother, my motivation is to break barriers in my career to carve out an easier path for their generation.

Katie Schnepf

Managing Director,
Tyson Client Lead, Mindshare

A digital native with strong cross-channel planning chops, Schnepf is a 20-plus-year Chicago ad agency veteran.

Office? Remote? Hybrid? Becoming a new mom amid Covid where I had to work remotely made me appreciate the flexibility, but feel the excitement for a return to the office. I can have the best of both worlds to balance the demands of parenting and what is needed to be most productive at work. The hybrid flexibility helps me be better at my job and be the mom I aspire to be for my children.

Support network: I have mentor moms both at work and outside of work who can give advice whether it’s a work challenge or a parenting challenge. I’m also lucky to have had a client going through a similar life stage where we bonded as working mothers and leaned on each other for support.

Shelve the self-doubt: “You are enough.” It’s easy to compare yourself to others and to have self-doubt if you can do it all or if you’re doing it right. But you have to remind yourself every day that you are the best parent for your kids and what you’re doing is good enough.