Claire Le Grice

I’ve experienced the value of senior part-time work since before I had children. As Talent Director at a creative agency in London, I worked three days a week alongside consulting and coaching. I thrived in that mix, and it continued to work well when my children arrived.

Back in New Zealand, I found the roles I wanted rarely came in part-time packages. With incredible family support, I returned to full-time work to keep progressing. This year, with the support of Skills Group and a senior leader who backed me to make it work, I moved to four days at 0.8 FTE while continuing to grow in my leadership role.

Moving to four days has allowed me to sustain my contribution and impact. My team support the arrangement and hold me to account, too. I don’t expect them to respond when they are on leave, and they value seeing me respect my own time away. I’m mostly getting that right!

My advice is to be clear about priorities, availability and who can make decisions when you are away. Give your team ownership and permission to hold you to the boundaries you’ve agreed.

I’ve aspired to be on this list since it began because I know how much it matters to see senior part-time careers being lived.

I want New Zealand to be more ambitious about how we design work. There are promising examples, but inherited ideas about work ethic—including those shaped by our colonial history—can make us equate commitment with hours and availability. Covid challenged our assumptions about where work happens; AI is challenging how it happens. We should bring that same curiosity to working hours and leadership.

My experience has shown me how much people and employers can gain when senior roles make room for different ways of working. I want more people to have that opportunity throughout their careers.