WELLCOME TRUST CAREER REENTRY FELLOW
PATTERN WORKED: 4 DAYS PER WEEK
Following a three-year career break, Nicola returned to research in 2014, within the Chemistry Department of the University of Oxford. A renowned expert in her field, she has built a small but flourishing independent, multi-disciplinary research group. They are currently working on the development and delivery of new treatments for children with brain tumours, for whom the five year survival rate is currently less than 1%. Her return was sponsored by organisations including the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Daphne Jackson Trust, and her research is currently supported by the Wellcome Trust, SCG and Cancer Research UK. Since her return, Nicola has informally mentored five aspiring returners and other researchers who were interested in pursuing flexible working.
TRANSFER PRICING CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE MANAGER
PATTERN WORKED: 3 DAYS PER WEEK
Jan returned to the workplace after a 16 year career break which she spent bringing up her family. She was recruited through KPMG’s Return to Work programme in 2016, at a relatively junior level, and quickly rose two grades at her first promotion. Jan is part of a team which drafts reports for corporate organisations advising them on potential issues around transfer pricing, as part of the OECD’s BEPS project to address tax avoidance. Her responsibilities include delegating and reviewing others’ work and training colleagues, as well as being the lead manager for the Latin American region. She acts as a role model for friends and colleagues, showing by example that a long break does not have to be a barrier to a fulfilling career
FINANCIAL PLANNER; PARTNER
PATTERN WORKED: 4 DAYS PER WEEK
Previously a Food Factory Director, Hilary took an eleven year career break to bring up her children. Faced with a lack of suitable part-time roles to return to, she signed up for career coaching with Women Like Us, through which she identified transferable skills which helped her win a place on a return to work scheme within wealth management. Since returning, she has become one of the UK’s most highly qualified advisers, whose outstanding performance has led to regular promotion; she recently joined Partners Wealth Management as a Partner on a part-time basis. Hilary goes out of her way to promote the benefits of flexible working, with media appearances including interviewing David Cameron when he was Prime Minister and featuring on Woman’s Hour.
