Claire Potter is an Atlanta native and the Director of Institutional Sales Support at Invesco, joining the company after working internationally in London and Sydney early in her career. Together, Claire and her husband are raising their 2-year-old daughter and are expecting their second child any day now.
"Being a working mother has made me twice as productive as I was before motherhood in all aspects of my life."
On Communicating Needs
Though Claire’s felt supported as a working mother at Invesco, she also advocated for what she needed to be successful at home and at work after her first child—in her case, less travel. “After a year of juggling being a new mom while balancing the competing travel schedules between me and my husband, I broached management with the idea of creating a new role on the Institutional Sales team that would leverage my previous experience and knowledge while minimizing the travel required.” Claire’s manager welcomed the proposal as it also solved for a gap on their team and her current role is a result of those conversations.
“I have felt supported by my manager and team to allow the flexibility that we all know being a working parent requires from time to time,” says Claire. “At the same time, I feel challenged and appreciated in the work that I am doing.”
About two years ago, Invesco introduced a company paid parental leave policy that gives 16-18 weeks to new mothers and 10 weeks to new fathers. Claire says, “This was so needed for new parents to allow for the necessary bonding time with the child as well as a win for the company to bring back more refreshed and engaged employees.”
On Paying It Forward
In those early months back, Claire relied on the support and experience of others, and now loves paying it forward with other new moms as they navigate the transitions to share what she’s learned. “I wish I had made a gradual transition back to work the first month or two, instead of diving right back into travel (which I did the first three days back). I had a tough time the first few months back between the travel and settling into the ‘new normal’ juggling family and work life.”
Claire sees the priority shifts that come with being a mother have transformed her career in many ways. “I thought I was an efficient person prior to being a working mother, but I’ve come to realize that being a working mother has made me twice as productive as I was before in all aspects of my life. Seeing how little time the work week allows me with my family, I made a conscious decision to be fully present at work while I’m at work and present with my family when I’m at home in the few hours I get with my daughter and husband each day. Some days are much more challenging than others, but I wouldn’t change a thing about the decision to keep working while growing our family.”
The Mom Project is proud to partner with Invesco to make incredible job opportunities available to our community via The Mom Project marketplace. Invesco supports women and families through their parental leave policy, flexible working policy, and the Invesco Women’s Network.
Recommended Articles
