A few years ago, I realized that we’ve been asking CEOs the wrong question. We have been asking them: “Are you hiring women?” when we should have been asking them: "Are you retaining the women you are hiring once they become mothers?”

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Over the past four years, my doctoral research has focused on a pattern I kept seeing across organizations:

We hire women.
We promote them into mid-level roles.
But then, just before they reach leadership roles, we lose them. 

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My doctoral research focuses on that exact moment, and what I found is clear.

This is not a pipeline issue.
We are not lacking talent.

It is a system design issue.

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When women become mothers, they are expected to navigate systems that were never built to support their career growth and caregiving. And that’s when organizations begin to lose future leaders, quietly and consistently.

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My work led me to develop the Mother-Inclusive Leadership (MIL) Model™ which is the first-of-its-kind, trademarked practical framework in the region. It is built for implementation and measurable outcomes, and helps organizations:

• Retain high-value talent through critical career stages

• Reduce replacement and rehiring costs

• Strengthen leadership pipeline continuity

• Convert existing talent into leadership return on investment​

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In simple terms:

Organizations are already investing in the right talent, they are just not realizing its full value. The MIL Model™ closes that gap, linking inclusion directly to performance, profitability, and long-term growth.

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​If you are a researcher, institution, or organization working at the intersection of gender, leadership, and inclusive workplaces, get in touch! ​​​

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