Inclusive leadership: the business benefits of a flexible-first organisation (with Verena Hefti MBE, founder of Leaders Plus)

With nearly 80% of mothers and over 90% of fathers in employment*, parents make up a big proportion of the workforce. The need for employers to create equitable and inclusive environments to develop their careers is therefore more than a nice-to-have – it’s a commercial imperative.

In this week’s podcast, our host Ally Maughan welcomes award-winning CEO and social enterprise founder Verena Hefti, who set up Leaders Plus to support working parents and campaign for employers to create better conditions in which working parents can thrive. They explore the significance of a fulfilling careers for the individual as well as the commercial and business advantage for organisations in supporting working parents, sharing personal experiences and examples.

Founded to help parents stop having to choose between being a good parent and having a fulfilling career, Leaders Plus is a social enterprise working with individuals during maternity leave, shared parental leave, and beyond, supporting them to progress in their careers alongside parenthood, and campaigning for gender equality to create a more equitable workplace for all working parents.

*ONS figures, August 2023