Ursula Lawgun

Part-time work has never meant part-time commitment. I’ve built a portfolio career that balances professional ambition with personal priorities, that include parenting and entrepreneurship.

The choice to work part time came after many years in full time employment. The flexibility initially allowed me to run a successful business for 10 years and later, allowed me to start a family and be there for my children. As a single parent, it has given me the capacity to be my best no matter which “hat” I am wearing at the time.

Developing your career is possible. The past 18 years of my working life have been in senior or critical part time positions in large blue chip companies, including Microsoft , Spark New Zealand, Vector, Datacom and One NZ, and an AI startup called Xtracta, which provides AI computer vision solutions. Over this period, I have been able to develop my career at a senior level and widened my skill set from Strategy Development, Marketing Management and Product Management to Programme Management and IT Delivery.

My most recent role was the Data and AI Delivery Lead at One NZ where I led the build and operation of their pivotal data platform that powers AI modelling and data-driven decision-making to improve profitability, customer experience and service.

My very first part time role was at Microsoft NZ 18 years ago. I managed the Windows Mobile business, building the ecosystem to support driving smartphone adoption across enterprise, government, and consumer markets - prior to the game-changing iPhone era. It is inspiring to look back now and admire how a global company embraced the concept of part time work almost two decades ago. I have worked at Microsoft several times and each time they supported part time work.

I have been fortunate to have had managers who value outcomes over hours. I am forever grateful that they value a person for their abilities rather than how many hours they work. They trusted my ability to deliver and get the job done. My part time arrangements have varied—from three full days, to school-hours across four days, and five-day weeks for specific assignments.

I truly believe that:

Senior and critical roles can be held by part time workers (as employees or contractors)

Career development is achievable for part time workers

Part time roles can be rewarding

There are organisations and managers that recognise the value part time workers bring

Part time work is a viable path to achieving better work/life balance, including your mental and physical health

My advice: Never apologise for working part time. Never be ashamed or feel guilty about your choice to work part time. Your value isn’t measured in hours—it’s reflected in your impact, your leadership, and your commitment. Own it."