Celebrating International Women's Day: Balancing Work, Family and Me-Time

In today's fast-paced world, balancing work, family and me-time can be a formidable challenge, especially for women who often juggle multiple roles. Our colleagues, Annemarie Mader, Irina Toumanian, Ardak Frank, and Eva Kosbow, have navigated these complexities with grace and determination. Their stories highlight their strength and the support they receive from RBI.  

Annemarie Mader, Lead Developed Markets in the CIB Customer Coverage Institutional Clients, is a mother of three sons aged 9, 12, and 14. Annemarie credits the pandemic for normalizing home office, which has provided her with the flexibility to manage a team of seven while balancing family life. "With the support of an excellent team at RBI and a strong social network at home, I manage this balance almost every day," she shares.  

Despite the challenge of part-time work affecting informal interactions and social time, Annemarie emphasizes the importance of self-care. She starts her day with a morning run after her kids leave for school, finding this routine crucial for maintaining her mental and physical health. "Most important for all women: less perfectionism, more composure!" she advises. 

Annemarie appreciates RBI's focus on job-sharing models, flexible hours, and remote work, which allow her to excel professionally. She values the emphasis on quality and outcomes over physical presence in the office. Annemarie believes that choosing interesting and challenging roles, even those with less prestige, has been key to her professional growth.

Irina Toumanian, from the IC Local Banks Department at RBI, is married and has a daughter. Inspired by the challenge, Irina climbed Kilimanjaro, experiencing five climate zones and overcoming logistical hurdles. The climb is a great symbol for everything which is also paramount to juggling work and family: organization skills, working as a team, getting support, and mental strength. 

Despite assurances of a dry season, Irina faced continuous rain, highlighting the importance of thorough research and preparation. The most emotional moment was reaching the summit after a challenging ascent, symbolizing perseverance and teamwork. "Slowly walking up a snowy mountain in complete darkness with low oxygen for more than six hours can be trying and make you question your decision to embark on this journey, maybe not once," she recalls.  

Irina compares this adventure to her professional life at RBI, emphasizing the importance of determination and mutual support in achieving goals. "One of the most admirable things for me in this adventure was to see how a group of random strangers united by the same target can help each other to reach it," she notes. Her group of twelve hikers, with varying experience but similar determination, succeeded by helping each other and coping with difficulties without complaint. 

Ardak Frank, a Senior Relationship Manager for 20 years, is a mother of three. Ardak highlights the importance of teamwork at home, with her husband doing his part. "Family life is a team effort, and I try to manage my time by prioritizing important tasks at work while also addressing the most important needs of my family," she explains. The biggest challenge she faces is finding meaningful time with her children, who are growing up quickly. 

Ardak prioritizes "me time" to stay efficient and organized, following the principle of putting her own oxygen mask on first.  "Taking care of myself allows me to be more present and effective both at work and at home," she notes. 

She appreciates RBI's initiatives like kindergarten arrangements and summer camps, which support working parents. These services are a tremendous help, allowing her to focus on her professional responsibilities while knowing her children are well cared for. Ardak's passion for her job, working with wonderful clients, and traveling to different countries keeps her motivated.  

Eva Kosbow, Head of Technology, Media & Telecom, dedicates her evenings and weekends to her family, striving to be present and explaining her work to her children to make her job less abstract for them. Eva faces societal expectations that mothers should spend more time with their kids than fathers, a challenge she believes is more pronounced in her generation. "When I started working again full-time more than ten years ago after maternity leave, I was often asked 'how do you manage with two kids,' a question fathers were never asked," she recalls. 

Eva's strategies for staying efficient and organized include sharing tasks equally with her partner and building a supportive network of family members, babysitters, and neighbors. She acknowledges that perfection is unattainable and accepts the reality that she cannot excel at both work and family every single day.  

"For me, there is no difference between working mum and working dad, and for my daughters, there should be no difference either," she asserts. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that with the right support and strategies, it is possible to thrive both professionally and personally. 

RBI is committed to helping employees balance work and family through flexible working hours, remote work options, and initiatives like kindergarten arrangements and summer camps. These initiatives reflect RBI's dedication to creating a supportive and flexible work environment, enabling employees to thrive professionally while fulfilling their family commitments. 

These stories of Annemarie, Irina, Ardak, and Eva showcase the resilience, determination, and strategies employed by our colleagues to balance work, family and me-time. As we celebrate International Women's Day in March, let us recognize and appreciate the achievements of women who manage the dual burden of professional and family responsibilities, paving the way for a more inclusive and supportive workplace.