Released On 07 October 2017

Cityparents welcome: Kim & Kathryn

Meet Kim & Kathryn, our new team members! We grill them about their most memorable parenting moments, the highs and lows of City working and which high profile speakers they’d most like to hear.

What did you do in the City prior to joining Cityparents?

Kim: Prior to working for Cityparents I worked for an international association of Listed Private Equity companies in an investor relations and marketing role and before that I worked for a variety of Investment Banks and also in business travel.

Kathryn: I’ve worked in management consultancy for the last 10 years, most recently working for a big 4 firm in their People and Change team. My main focus has been on HR effectiveness; helping clients get the most out of their HR functions through their operating model, technology, processes, talent and strategy.
What, for you, are the best and worst things about working in the City?

Kim: I love the accessibility to the shops and being able to pop in and out around work. Another great thing about the City is the ease in which you can attend networking events and meet up with friends after work (childcare permitting!). London has a huge variety of places to eat and visit and when you don’t have such easy access to it you miss the variety of life it has to offer. The absolute worst thing has to be rush hour on the Tube and the worry of not getting back in time for pickups from school!

Kathryn: I love the buzz of working in the City and the beautiful historical surroundings. I studied history at university and all the tiny back streets and quirky road names really fascinate me. When I first moved to London, I was working in St Pauls and it never stopped amazing me when I got that first glimpse of the cathedral as I came out of the tube each day. For me, one of the worst things about working in the City is the commute from home. Since becoming a mum, the pressure to make the nursery pick-up and relying on trains has been quite stressful. I’m looking forward to being based from home in my new role, but still have the opportunity to get a dose of City life every now and then!

Tell us a random fact about yourself?

Kim: I once worked for an airline and had to spend an entire week on my own in Brussels at their head office on a course learning how to calculate mileage fares. It’s all done by computer now!

Kathryn: I love Test cricket! I’m not really into sport and my husband is still pinching himself that of all the sports he’s tried to interest me in over the years, I’ve chosen 5-day Test cricket.
What has been your biggest challenge as a working parent?

Kim: Aside from the struggle that every parent has of finding roles that have flexibility that fit in with childcare and trying to work part-time in a full-time world; it has been keeping my career moving forward and learning. I love learning new skills and believe that as humans we thrive on learning. Finding time to study when balancing work and family is challenging and often ends up being late at night or very early in the morning!

Kathryn: Finding time to build relationships with colleagues can be really difficult when you work part-time, have to leave the office promptly and struggle to attend evening social events. Soon after I returned to work following the birth of my first daughter, my team was acquired by a new firm and I had a completely new set of colleagues to get to know, most of whom were only in the office on Fridays, my day off!
What’s your most memorable parenting moment?

Kim: I was going to say when my daughter was the Ice Queen in a school play; however, unfortunately it has to be the time we missed a flight from Geneva when both children were under 2. We were then on standby for 3 flights and I had no nappies left for my son!! Luckily there were some very kind people who were a bit more organised than me!

Kathryn: Following the birth of my second daughter, my husband decided to take 3 months Shared Parental Leave. This time together as a family is definitely one of my most memorable times; it was amazing to have support through the newborn phase and to see how much both our girls enjoyed having him around.
Which high profile person would you most like to hear speak, and why?

Kim: I would love to hear Amal Clooney speak - she and George have just had twins which must be quite a challenge and a huge change in lifestyle. They both have such high-profile careers. I would love to know how they will balance their lives with work while still having time as a family.

Kathryn: I’d love to hear Kate Middleton speak. We got married in the same year and our children are similar ages so I feel like we’re in a similar place of our lives. I’d love to hear about her parenting challenges and how she manages toddler tantrums!
‘Me’ time - what’s your favourite way to spend it?

Kim: I love to paint furniture and create new out of old. But if its good weather then it’s running and exploring the coastal path.

Kathryn: Sneaking off for a pedicure and a coffee/glass of bubbles (depending on time of day!)

If you could recommend an interesting career/wellbeing/parenting resource to other members, what would it be? (e.g. an article, blog, website, book, video etc)

Kim: I love https://twitter.com/iamalisonperry family lifestyle blogger; and for Dads https://twitter.com/thedadnetworkuk I am also a big fan of https://twitter.com/TheParentsZone for everything about digital safety online for children.

Kathryn: I really like handinhandparenting.org for practical advice on how to deal with children’s behaviour in a positive way.