In the season finale, we delve into the heartwarming and inspiring story of Sathya Nandakumar, Chief Technology Officer at Holland and Barrett, one of Europe’s largest health and wellness retailers.

Sathya’s journey is notably different from the patterns we've seen in earlier episodes. With no opportunity to hire a nanny and without a strong support network, she chose to take two maternity leaves of over a year each, facing significant career setbacks upon her return each time. Despite these challenges, she ascended to become a successful CTO, managing hundreds of engineers across various countries and backgrounds—an inspiring story that I was eager to explore.

In this final episode of the season, we also turn the tables and explore Sathya’s perspective on providing support during someone else's maternity leave - mine! We uncover unexpected insights, share our learnings, and offer key advice for leaders planning their maternity leave with the aim of ensuring a smooth transition back to work.

Key stories we discuss in this episode:

• Sathya’s statistically unlikely rise to CTO after two extended maternity leaves;
• Essential advice for those looking to advance their careers while managing a busy family life;
• Sathya’s mantra for maintaining a guilt-free approach as a working parent;
• Her experiences and insights from supporting my maternity leave;
• Strategic tips for preparing a successful maternity leave, especially for leaders in the workplace.

I've been lucky to work with Sathya closely for the last 3 years, and not only she's been my best partner in crime through all the work adventures; she's also always been there for me as a friend through life’s varied challenges of the last 3 years. Recording this episode was a joy for both of us, and we hope you find the same joy in listening.

Thanks

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