Nicola Raynes-Pene

When I was asked about the legacy I wanted to leave as a Partner at KPMG, I said that I wanted to show that people with strong soft skills, people who work flexibly and people who are their authentic selves can succeed and continue to drive forward in their career. This is so important for our current and future generations to see this – things have evolved in this space and we need to see people doing it to believe that it can be done. I have had support from KPMG, and other employers, when some 12 years ago I requested to work 4 days a week to help manage some health conditions – and no questions were asked. Today I work 4 days for not only my health but for my family. And you know what? I don’t have it all figured out – it’s a constant work in progress, I constantly need to work on my own boundaries, and that’s okay. We are all juggling and facing different challenges – the support we provide one another is crucial and we should be able to feel that we can be honest about these challenges, whatever they may be.