Big Careers, Small Children

In this reflective and practical episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Leaders Plus Interim COO Helen Fraser speaks with Rupert Brown, author of Lost in Transformation and Leaders Plus Senior Leader Mentor.

Rupert has spent much of his career leading people change in multinational organisations, including international assignments in Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark and Dubai, while raising two children abroad. He shares what he has learned about making big career decisions when family needs change, leading transformation with more humanity, and staying honest with yourself in the middle of corporate upheaval.

Drawing on his experience working with people and culture, he shares the moment his teenagers asked why the family was “doing lockdown in the desert,” the family’s return to the UK, and how the sudden death of his father and his employer’s response reshaped his view of leadership and empathy.

Together, they explore

✔️ How Rupert and his family navigated multiple international moves, and why their teenagers’ voices were central to the decision to come back to the UK for more stability.

✔️ What really happens to family life and career confidence when work and location decisions stop being “just” the parents’ choices.

✔️ Why he believes many corporate change programmes ignore basic psychology and the lived experience of the people affected, and what drew him to write Lost in Transformation.

✔️ Rupert’s PIE model: performance, image and exposure, and why hard work alone is rarely enough for progression, especially for working parents with limited time.

✔️ What the death of his father taught him about principle based policies, bereavement leave, and the quiet power of simple, human responses from leaders in moments of grief.

What you’ll learn in this episode

🔹 Ways to think through big career and location choices when your children start expressing their own clear preferences.

🔹 Practical ideas for building “spacious” relationships at work that help you stay resourceful and honest under pressure.

🔹 How leaders can respond to loss and difficulty with empathy rather than hiding behind rigid policies or avoiding uncomfortable conversations.

🔹 Questions to ask yourself if you are involved in leading change, so that you do change with people rather than doing change to them.

Show Notes:

In this reflective and deeply thoughtful episode of Big Careers, Small Children, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Ori Carmel, Founder and CEO at Sowen. Drawing on his lived experience as a father of two, Ori shares how working parents can make better decisions about work and family, build guardrails that protect what matters most, and avoid the regret that often comes from overwhelm or overcommitment.

Ori reflects on the moment he missed his daughter’s first smile while travelling for work, the subtle choices that shape daily family life, and the simple frameworks he now uses to stay aligned with his values.

Together, they discuss:

✔️ How working parents can use simple decision-making tools to avoid stress, regret and overwhelm

✔️ Why flexibility often leads to blurred boundaries and how to put guardrails back in place

✔️ The “bandwidth check-in” system Ori and his wife use to share the load on tough days

✔️ How cultural expectations and ego subtly influence men’s decisions about work and family

What you'll learn in this episode:

🔹 How to make clearer day-to-day decisions about work and family

🔹 How to recognise early signs of overstretch before burnout takes hold

🔹 Why decision-making frameworks help parents stay aligned with their values

🔹 How to course-correct when work starts to take up more space than intended

Ori’s reflections are an invitation to slow down, examine your decision-making patterns, and build structures that support both your ambition and your family life.

Show Notes:

In this research-rich and deeply practical episode, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Prof Gudrun Sander, Director of the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management IIDM-HSG at the University of St. Gallen, about what workplaces must do if they genuinely want to support working parents and close gender progression gaps.

A global expert on gender equality, leadership, and organisational culture, Prof Sander brings decades of evidence-based insight into what really moves the needle and what doesn’t.

She unpacks why many well-intentioned initiatives fall short, the key levers that actually shift equality outcomes, and how organisations can redesign work so that parents can thrive without penalty.

Together, they explore:

✔️ Why having a family should be treated as a normal part of an employee’s career path

✔️ How organisations can remove systemic barriers that disadvantage working parents

✔️ The real reason visibility matters as much as performance for progression

✔️ Why women don’t need to be “perfect” to step into stretch opportunities

✔️ What companies get wrong when designing policies like parental leave

✔️ How hybrid work can either accelerate equality or deepen inequalities

✔️ Practical steps leaders can take today to build a more inclusive culture

✔️ How to support managers so they can properly support parents

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔹 How to design workplace systems that genuinely support working parents

🔹 Why visibility and sponsorship matter more than ever

🔹 How perfectionism and confidence gaps limit progression, and what to do about it

🔹 The organisational behaviours that predict better gender equality outcomes

🔹 How leaders can role-model balance without losing credibility

🔹 Why diversity policies fail and what makes them effective

Show Notes:

In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Ahed Serhal, HR Director, La Prairie Switzerland, about how she transformed guilt into growth while building a global career and raising 10-year-old twins abroad.

Living without nearby family support, Ahed shares her honest reflections on balancing ambition and parenthood — from morning school selfies to open conversations with her employer and children. She reveals how learning to let go of guilt, plan with purpose, and communicate openly helped her find true balance and confidence as a working parent.

Together, they explore:

✔️ The mindset shift that helped Ahed turn guilt into growth

✔️ How to progress your career while living abroad without family support

✔️ Why being vocal about what you need builds trust and balance

✔️ How parenting can strengthen your leadership through empathy and structure

✔️ The power of partnership and planning when both parents travel for work

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔹 How to let go of guilt and define balance on your own terms

🔹 Why openness with your manager (and your children) is key to thriving

🔹 How to create systems that support both your career and your family

🔹 Why parenting can make you a more strategic, grounded leader

🔹 The one mindset shift that helps you progress without traditional support networks

Show Notes:

In this honest and inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Heather Blundell, UK CEO at Grayling, and mum of two young boys.

Heather shares her personal journey of combining ambitious leadership with parenthood — from taking work calls during bath time to confidently blocking out school pick-ups in her diary. She reflects on the pivotal karate-class moment that shifted her approach to presence, and why setting boundaries has made her a more intentional, effective leader.

A working parent at the top of her game, Heather offers a refreshingly real perspective on leadership, family life, and the cultural responsibility CEOs hold to model balance.

Together, they explore:

✔️ The powerful realisation that changed Heather’s approach to presence as a parent and leader

✔️ Why she sets more boundaries now as a CEO than in previous roles

✔️ How becoming a parent made her a more decisive, compassionate, and time-efficient leader

✔️ The cultural ripple effect when senior leaders model balance at work

✔️ How to let go of perfectionism and focus on what truly matters

✔️ Navigating playground imposter syndrome as a senior leader

✔️ Why parenting can enrich, rather than hinder, leadership ambition

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔹 How to set transparent boundaries at a senior level without losing credibility

🔹 Why presence, not perfection, creates impact at work and home

🔹 How parenting can sharpen your leadership clarity, efficiency, and empathy

🔹 Practical ways to lead by example and shape organisational culture

🔹 Why “having it all” is a myth — and how deliberate choices make the difference

Show Notes: