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What if one of the most powerful ways to advance women at work is to give men more time away from it?

Jo Farmer is Joint Managing Partner of international law firm Lewis Silkin—and the first woman to hold the role. In this deeply human and practical conversation, Jo shares how the firm introduced six months’ paid parental leave for everyone and achieved an extraordinary result: 100% of eligible men have taken it.

But this isn’t simply a conversation about policy.

Jo explains why giving fathers meaningful time to care can begin to dismantle the assumptions holding women back, from the mental load and gender pay gap to unequal career progression. She also reveals what Lewis Silkin did to ensure its policy felt genuinely safe to use—including supporting senior men to take leave and promoting one colleague to partner while he was away.

We also explore Jo’s remarkable personal journey: born to a 17-year-old mother, raised in a working-class family in Darlington and becoming the first person in her family to attend university before progressing to the top of her profession.

Jo talks candidly about learning to fit in, navigating the unwritten rules of unfamiliar environments and why we should never mistake someone else’s polish for greater potential.

This is an inspiring conversation about social mobility, gender equity and what becomes possible when leaders use their influence to leave their organisation—and their profession—better than they found it.

In this episode:

• Why paternity leave is fundamental to gender equity
• How Lewis Silkin achieved 100% take-up among eligible men
• Why policy alone cannot create cultural change
• The commercial impact of care, including retention, recruitment and performance
• Jo’s journey from a financially precarious childhood to senior leadership
• Why curiosity and tenacity can matter more than polish
• What leaders can do to widen opportunity for others

This is the final episode in our CARE mini-series, exploring what’s really getting in the way of people thriving at work.

To connect with Jo Farmer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-farmer-3569b62/

Or visit Lewis Silkin's website: https://www.lewissilkin.com/

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Why are so many working mothers, parents and carers stepping back from careers they have spent years building?

In this episode of the She Leads Collective Parenting & Caring mini-series, I’m joined by Tracey Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe, co-founders of Platform 55, to explore the motherhood penalty, returning to work after maternity leave, parental leave for fathers, caring responsibilities and what employers can do to retain talented people when work and life collide.

Supporting working parents and carers isn't simply about employee wellbeing. It affects retention, gender equality, the gender pay gap, succession planning, leadership and business performance.

We explore the reality of returning to work after having children, why so few men take their full parental leave entitlement, and the often-unspoken assumptions about what it takes to progress into senior leadership.

But this conversation goes beyond parenting.

Tracey and Michelle make a compelling case for supporting people through major life moments — from caring responsibilities and fertility treatment to menopause, miscarriage and family leave — and explain why line managers and leaders have such an important role to play.

We also discuss why policies alone aren't enough, and what empathetic leadership really looks like when leaders still have performance and business results to deliver.

Organisations don't employ part of a person. They employ whole people, with whole lives.

And supporting those lives well might just be a competitive advantage.

This episode is part of the She Leads Collective Caring & Leadership mini-series, exploring the realities of parenting and caring responsibilities and what organisations can do to support the people carrying them.

Connect with Tracey and Michelle on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-gunn/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleplatform55/

Or visit their website: https://platform55.com/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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When we talk about caring responsibilities, we often picture parents with young children. But millions of leaders are quietly carrying another responsibility that receives far less attention: caring for ageing parents.

In this deeply honest conversation, Mary Gregory is joined by Amy Kiernan, Group Chief Growth Officer at McCann, to explore what happens when a demanding leadership role collides with dementia, grief, ageing parents, perimenopause and life lived alone.

Amy shares the emotional reality of supporting her father through dementia, the ongoing care of her mother, and how those experiences have shaped the leader she has become.

Together they explore:

•  caring for ageing parents whilst leading at senior level 
•  anticipatory grief and emotional resilience 
•  balancing leadership with personal responsibility 
•  managing energy during perimenopause 
•  why self-awareness changes everything 
•  how organisations can better support carers 
•  the role of compassionate workplace cultures 
•  practical strategies for protecting your own wellbeing 

This episode is part of the She Leads Collective Caring & Leadership mini-series, exploring the realities of caring responsibilities and what organisations can do to better support the people carrying them.

Whether you're a leader, a carer, an HR professional or someone trying to hold everything together, this conversation offers reassurance, practical wisdom and hope.

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askiernan/

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What if supporting working parents wasn't simply an employee benefit—but one of the smartest leadership decisions an organisation could make?

In this first guest episode of Season 4, Mary Gregory is joined by Amie Kendall, Business Director at Regenerate, to explore why family-friendly workplaces are no longer just an HR issue—they are a strategic leadership priority.

Together they discuss how the earliest years of a child's life shape future health, learning and resilience, why business leaders have far more influence than they realise, and how organisations can improve retention, engagement and productivity by creating cultures where working parents can thrive.

Amie also shares the thinking behind Regenerate's national Working Families Roadshow, developed alongside the Department for Education, which is helping organisations rethink the role they play in supporting families and the next generation.

Whether you're a CEO, HR leader, line manager or parent, this conversation challenges us to see leadership through a much wider lens.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why supporting working parents is a leadership issue—not just an HR policy
 • The business case for family-friendly workplaces
 • Why culture matters more than policy alone
 • How better support for families benefits business, society and future generations
 • Practical ideas leaders can implement immediately

If we're serious about building better organisations, perhaps we need to start by thinking differently about the people raising tomorrow's workforce.

This episode is part of the She Leads Collective Caring & Leadership mini-series, exploring the realities of parenting and caring responsibilities and what organisations can do to better support the people carrying them.

Connect with Amie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amiekendall/

Or visit Regenerate: https://www.re-generate.org/

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What’s really getting in the way of people being able to thrive at work?

As She Leads Collective returns for Season 4, I’m exploring a question that has stayed with me after more than 50 conversations with women leaders, business owners, allies, academics and changemakers.

We often focus on helping individuals become more confident, capable and resilient. But what about the environments they are being asked to succeed in? The cultures we create, the behaviours we tolerate, the expectations we place on women and men, and the structures that influence who progresses, who gets heard — and who quietly decides a workplace simply isn't for them?

In this short opening episode, I introduce some of the conversations coming in Season 4, including:

• parenting, caring and the realities of combining work with life
• why gender equity also requires us to talk about men
• meaningful male allyship and changing workplace systems
• imposter phenomenon and whether we're asking the right questions about confidence
• bias, bullying and harassment in male-dominated industries
• why depth, humanity and human connection may matter more than ever in an increasingly technology-driven world

Underneath it all is an even bigger question:

What would work look like if it were designed around the reality of being human?

And you don't have to wait for the first conversation. My opening guest episode with Amie Kendall is also available today, exploring how parents' experiences at work can reach far beyond the employee — and potentially shape the next generation's relationship with work.

Welcome to Season 4 of She Leads Collective: Real Models. Allies. The Undiscussables.

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As AI becomes capable of doing more, what becomes more valuable about being human?

Much of the conversation about AI focuses on what technology will replace, which jobs will change and what skills we'll need next.

But what if there's another question we should be asking?

In the final episode of Conversations Worth Revisiting – A She Leads Collective Summer Series, I bring together three conversations exploring what happens to the value of our humanity as technology becomes increasingly capable.

You'll hear from Celine Floyd, who challenges the idea of human versus AI and argues instead for human + AI; Nishma Patel Robb, who believes our character, values, empathy and ability to connect may give us an “outsized advantage” in an increasingly automated world; and Carmel Saulbrey, who shares a fascinating real-world example of using AI to help people practise the very human skills of curiosity, empathy, judgement and connection. 

Together we explore:

•  Why the future doesn't have to be human versus AI 
•  What Nishma calls Authentic Intelligence
•  Why human-centred leadership may become more important, not less 
•  The growing value of empathy, curiosity, judgement and connection 
•  How AI can help people practise difficult human interactions 
•  What leaders need to keep developing as technology advances 

Carmel's story contains a fascinating paradox. She initially thought AI had no place in children's care because “we need human beings in this.” Yet she ultimately found a way to use artificial intelligence to help people practise being more human. 

Perhaps the opportunity isn't to compete with AI at all.

Perhaps it's to become better at the things that make us human.

Because in a world increasingly driven by technology, our humanity may become our greatest competitive advantage.

Listen now, and discover the full conversations with Celine, Nishma and Carmel through the links in the show notes.

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

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Why do we still pretend that people can leave their personal lives at the door when they come to work?

We talk about bringing our “professional selves” to work. But our relationships, families, losses, worries and major life changes don't simply disappear when the working day begins.

In this second episode of Conversations Worth Revisiting – A She Leads Collective Summer Series, I'm bringing together three powerful conversations that challenge the myth that our personal and professional selves can somehow be separated.

You'll hear from Leila Green, who explores the masking women can adopt when returning to work after motherhood; Tamara Glanvill, a family lawyer who sees first-hand how divorce can affect confidence, concentration and capacity at work; and Shelley Kay, who shares her experience of baby loss and what she's learned about creating genuinely human workplaces.

Together, we explore:

•  Why people mask what's happening in their personal lives 
•  Motherhood and returning to work 
•  The hidden impact of divorce in the workplace 
•  Baby loss, grief and belonging at work 
•  Why listening can be more powerful than trying to fix 
•  How leaders can support people through major life transitions 
•  What it really means to lead with humanity 

The challenge for leaders isn't to create workplaces where people's personal lives never affect their performance.

That's impossible.

It's to create workplaces with enough humanity, trust and flexibility to recognise that sometimes people simply can't be at their best.

As Shelley puts it:

“On the other days we turn up and we're amazing.”

Listen now, and discover the full conversations with Leila, Tamara and Shelley through the links in the show notes below:

Leila Green, S1 Ep13 - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489643/episodes/18870108

Tamara Glanvill, S3 Ep11 - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489643/episodes/19273871

Shelley Kay, S1 Ep - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489643/episodes/17868019

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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Conversations Worth Revisiting:

A She Leads Collective Summer Series

Why do so many brilliant women still feel they have to prove themselves at work?

We're often told the answer is confidence.

• Speak up more.
• Be more assertive.
• Believe in yourself.

But after more than 50 conversations on the She Leads Collective podcast, I'm beginning to wonder if we've been asking the wrong question.

In this first episode of Conversations Worth Revisiting – A She Leads Collective Summer Series, I'm bringing together two powerful conversations from Season 3 to explore whether confidence is really the issue—or whether workplace culture plays a much bigger role than we realise.

You'll hear from:

Lauren Neal – Chartered Engineer and founder of Valued at Work, who shares her experience of bias in engineering and explains why the problem wasn't her—it was the environment she was working in.

Akua Opong – Technology leader, speaker and advocate for inclusive leadership, who reflects on the mentors and leaders who helped her thrive by embracing what made her different.

Together, their stories challenge the belief that women simply need to become more confident. Instead, they offer a different perspective on leadership, belonging and creating workplaces where everyone can succeed.

In this episode we explore:

•  Why confidence isn't always the real issue 
•  Women in STEM and workplace culture 
•  Inclusive leadership 
•  Belonging at work 
•  Allyship 
•  Psychological safety 
•  The impact leaders have on confidence 
•  Why diversity and inclusion belong to everyone 

If this conversation resonates, you'll find links in the show notes to Lauren's and Akua's full episodes, along with more than 50 conversations exploring leadership, gender equity and the changing world of work.

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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This season wasn't simply a collection of conversations about women in leadership.

Looking back across thirteen remarkable guests, Mary reflects that something much bigger has emerged. Together, Mary and her guests have explored what leadership now needs to become, discussing the five biggest lessons from Season 3, including:

• Why confidence isn't always the problem — sometimes the system is.
 • Why sponsorship matters more than advice.
 • What money really tells us about opportunity and influence.
 • Why people can never leave their lives at the office door.
 • Why kindness, courage and encouragement are among the strongest leadership skills we have.

Along the way, Mary revisits some of the most powerful moments from conversations with Lauren Neal, Steph Douglas, David B. Horne, Sue Rizzello, Helen Gibson and more.

Rather than summarising each episode, this is an exploration of the ideas connecting them all—and what they mean for leaders who want to create workplaces where more people can thrive.

If you've listened throughout Season 3, thank you.

If this is your first episode, it's also a great place to start.

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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Why do so many brilliant women remain invisible despite their expertise?

In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory is joined by thought leadership strategist Sue Rizzello to explore why influential ideas aren't always the ones that receive the greatest attention—and why women are still under-represented as recognised thought leaders.

Together they discuss:

•  The way thought leadership is often misunderstood. 
•  The difference between personal branding and genuine influence. 
•  Why women hesitate to speak up and be visible. 
•  How organisations unintentionally overlook valuable expertise. 
•  Practical ways leaders can become known for their thinking rather than their job title. 

This is a thoughtful conversation about confidence, credibility, visibility and creating workplaces where the best ideas—regardless of who they come from—have the opportunity to shape the future.

Whether you're building your own leadership profile or leading others, this episode offers practical insights into helping great thinking find the audience it deserves. 

Connect with Sue on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suerizzello/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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