In this episode, we explore how management consultancy firms can better support employees navigating parenthood and returning from parental leave. What are companies doing to retain returning parents — and what actually works in practice? 

We’re joined by two guests with very different experiences: one who transitioned back into consulting after parental leave, and one who chose to resign within a year of returning. Together, they reflect on what support made a real difference and what is missing.  We’ll also debate what additional efforts consulting firms could make to ease the transition back to work and everyday life, and what it really takes to support family expansion in a high performance industry. 

Presentation of guests: 

• Host: Emily Christensen, Nordic Sustainability 
• Rebekka R Gunnarsdottir, Senior Manager, EY
• Hildur María Hólmarsdóttir, Environmental Sustainability Business Partner, Falck (Previous Senior Consultant, Rambøll Management Consulting)
• Julie Carøe, Midwife and Founder, Sammen Med Jer

 
This episode is a must-listen for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone shaping the future of consulting. Let’s reimagine what it means to support parents—not just during leave, but all the way through their return. 

 
Summary
How do we make coming back from parental leave feel less like a cliff edge and more like a soft landing? In this inspiring episode of Voices of Consulting, we dive into the real-life stories of two consultants navigating the return to work after becoming parents.

Hildur María Hólmarsdóttir (Falck) and Rebekka R Gunnarsdottir (EY) open up about the support they needed, what worked—and what didn’t. Together with host Emily Christensen, they explore how consulting firms can create truly family-friendly cultures, with flexibility, empathy, and structure at the core.