- Katharine Kennedy, a global GM at Microsoft, took her baby with her to a work conference in May.
- She wanted to show that women can be leaders in the workplace and have families simultaneously.
- Kennedy said parents thanked her for bringing her child and shedding light on motherhood struggles.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Katharine Kennedy, a 38-year-old global general manager at Microsoft from Florida, about balancing motherhood with her Big Tech job. Business Insider verified her employment at Microsoft with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I've spent most of my career working in tech. In 2017, I got a global client director job at Microsoft, a company I'd always wanted to work for.
That year, I also had my first child, a daughter.
In 2020, I left Microsoft to work at Salesforce, where I had my second child. But in 2022, I went back to Microsoft as the GM of strategic partnerships. In 2023, I became pregnant with my third child.
As a high achiever, I struggled with anxiety about balancing my work performance with being a parent.
When an important work conference came up shortly after I had my third child, I decided to take him with me to the event. I wanted show women can be leaders in the workplace and prioritize their families.
I was anxious about returning to work after having my third child
When I had my first baby, I worried about how it would impact my job because, throughout my career, I'd observed bias against women in the workplace.
I worried about how my boss would receive the news of my pregnancy, how my coworkers would perceive me, and whether I would be overlooked for the next opportunity while I was on maternity leave. In reality, my boss and coworkers were incredibly supportive, but I was still worried.
I was very attached to my career, and I had to learn to prioritize my family responsibilities. Instead of spending countless hours working late into the night in pursuit of promotions and accolades, I now find greater joy in watching my daughter grow and learn.
When I had my second child, a son, I felt anxiety creeping up again. But since becoming a mom, I'd learned more about meditation and mental health. Coaching and therapy taught me how to set boundaries. I started blocking out my calendar during dinner and bedtime to spend that time with my children.
My husband and I were both ready for a third child, but I still felt crippling anxiety. I already had two children. I was worried about leaving my newborn to go back to work and supporting my partner, who also works full-time, with the three kids.
Roughly a week before my four-month mat leave ended in May 2024, there was an important conference in Las Vegas: ServiceNow's Knowledge 2024 conference.
It was a big moment for me professionally. Before my maternity leave, my team and I had worked on the first AI integrations between ServiceNow and Microsoft, to be unveiled at the conference. We were also going to be receiving an award.
I didn't want to leave my baby or leave my partner with the kids, but I also didn't want to miss this career milestone. After speaking to my team and asking the head of the business division who was hosting the event, I made a bold decision to bring my baby with me to the conference.
Working moms tend to hide their parental responsibilities at work. I wanted to do something different.
My sister-in-law agreed to attend the conference with me and help me care for the baby while I attended meetings and talks.
The journey to Vegas was a comedy of errors. We missed our first flight, and our replacement flight was delayed, which meant we arrived late.
But when we got there, we were celebrated. My team was super supportive, and parents came up to me at the event, thanking me for bringing my child and shedding light on motherhood struggles.
I nursed my son in between meetings and was the best version of myself because I wasn't missing my child. I didn't compromise on my dedication to my children or my role as a leader.
Mothers tend to hide the fact that we're mothers and when we need to prioritize our families. Earlier in my career, I wanted to prove myself and felt that to be a high performer, I needed to show I was constantly prioritizing the work.
I remember once, when my husband and I took our daughter to the doctor, I stepped out of the doctor's office to take a call from my skip-level manager. Due to my own insecurities and hyper-achieving personality, I felt not taking the call would reflect poorly on me.
But when I brought my baby to the conference, I demonstrated how to harmonize personal and professional responsibilities. If other women aren't seeing what's possible, how can they imagine it? When I got home, I looked at my daughter and knew I made the right choice. I was setting an example for her to have a family and a career at the same time.
I'm glad that I can show up as a leader and a parent
We've made huge strides in making the workplace more family-friendly in the States, including maternity and paternity leave arrangements, but I think we should continue to improve it with more progressive policies.
At Microsoft, I have an accommodating boss and a supportive community. Some team members have children, and work-life balance is a big priority for our team.
Being back at work with three kids has been challenging. I'm constantly balancing priorities, but being fully remote means I can be present at home. I take my children to school every morning and put them to bed at night when I'm not traveling.
Without a good balance of work and life, I wouldn't be a great leader or employee. I'm the best version of myself because I have that balance.
Do you have a story about how being a parent has impacted your career? Email [email protected]