Celebrating Our Mums

Mums. Step-mums, foster mums, rainbow mums, mums-to-be, empty nest mums, surrogate mums, adopting mums, dog mums, cat mums, dads who are mums, grandmums. This week, we take a moment to celebrate our mums.

We mums (and dads) walk in two worlds. We balance our love and presence with our families with thrilling careers. And we couldn’t do it without the support of our teams, and our employers.?

So we do.?

Over the past several years, the way we work with parents has evolved. And it continues to evolve. And oh my hasn’t it been great! We have both mums and dads taking paid parental leave, and flexibility for parents returning to work has seen more mums returning to work.

We are dedicated to helping all our people realise their big ambitions. And that means we have more mums in leadership and senior positions. And that in turn means whole-hearted support for our parents, from the top down. It creates a culture of empathy, respect, and mutual understanding. And it means that we have a ton of mums and dads!

So let’s introduce just a few of our mums.?

Rachael Fraser, Head of Strategy

I’m a big believer that women can have it all, from babies to the boardroom. While at M&C, I’ve been lucky enough to have two beautiful girls, with a boy on the way. I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to do that all at M&C, without having to step down or sacrifice everything I’ve worked so hard and passionately for. There are very few employers who support and promote women throughout motherhood to the extent M&C has done for me. When you find people that do, not only does it inspire a powerful level of loyalty, but it also gives hope that more companies will follow.

Lauren Keogh, Talent Acquisition Director

I joined M&C Saatchi the same week that I moved house and into the mayhem of a blended family –?going from 2 to 5 overnight. Doubled down with lockdown 2.0 to say? ‘it was a lot’ is an understatement. To help with this adjustment and all the joys that came with homeschooling, I was able to reduce my working hours to 4 days per week. It made such a positive impact in my role as Mum, that I’ve now transitioned to part-time with the full support of M&C Saatchi Group (and my wonderful team!).??

Collaborations with EnergyX, Employee Assistance Programs, Wellness Days and Lockdown lunches… M&C kept us going. And the ‘Craft, Camera, Action!’ campaign M&C created for BigW, along with tips and tricks shared amongst the Parents ELN was enough to keep the kids busy… or thereabouts!?

I think being a Mum, you quickly realise it's the little things that make the big. Just before Christmas, I arrived at the office to a garden bed of surprises, wrapped with tinsel at the top of the office stairs. It was at this moment that I felt the magic of M&C Saatchi that I so often hear of. Sitting there was not only a present for my daughter but one for each of the children in my life. My blended family was included and recognised as a whole.

Aleece Dening, HR Operations Partner

I became a mum in 2020 when we started to foster our 'forever' child. At first, I wasn’t sure we could foster since we both worked full-time and we didn’t necessarily have flexible schedules at the time. But M&C Saatchi have supported me and my family every step of the way. From caseworker meetings to days off to ‘bond’ with my daughter, both informal and formal arrangements have given me the time needed to find my feet as a new mum. I am able to give my foster daughter so much more of my full self when I drop off and pick her up from school, set her up with her homework and attend assemblies throughout the day.?

Brenden Fing, Talent Acquisition Specialist

I lead our Parents at M&C Employee-Led-Network alongside Vanessa Fernandez. We’re both parents, Vanessa with two children of her own, and I'm expecting my second. It’s our mission to create incredible initiatives and events to ensure that parents feel heard and encouraged by what we can offer as a business, and to help parents network and connect with each other.?

In November, I’ll be off taking my parental leave with my second child. Having equal paid parental leave gives me cherished time with my newborn, but it’ll also allow me to share responsibility so that it’s not all on my partner, and so she can prepare to return to her career as a Senior Client Manager.

I’m not a mother, but still, I’m inspired by how many female executive leaders and managers we have at M&C Saatchi. And how they continue to grow their careers and achieve so much whilst managing to be a present parent.

Vanessa Fernandez, Senior Integrated Producer

I lead our Parents Employee-Led-Network alongside Brenden Fing. I joined M&C eight years ago and during this time, I went on maternity leave twice to become a mother to two boisterous boys.

In my eight years at M&C, I have seen the evolution of Parents working in advertising. It’s an increasingly positive culture, one where flexible working arrangements and parental leave have become the norm. During my pregnancy, my team and the agency were so supportive, I knew I would return after my leave. I’ve been welcomed back part time, and I know I’m an integral and valued part of my team and of M&C, yet still have the flexibility to spend precious quality time with my sons.

I haven’t worked anywhere that has a welcoming parental culture as we do here. The Kids Christmas Parties and Santa Gifts, flexible working arrangements and the fantastic parental leave benefits have made becoming a mother while working in advertising possible. Not only possible, but something I can thrive doing. That’s something that I thought may not be possible in this industry, but here it is.?

M&C have made my family part of their family. This is why I decided to help lead the Parent ELN, to continue to help us strive to be the best agency for parents who have a passion for working in advertising.??

***

And with that, we’re off to celebrate our mothers, our partners, our grandmothers, and our own Mother’s Days. Happy Mother’s Day!