Publish date: 8 March 2022
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Kate Thompson tells us more about how she balances family life and her role as Deputy Director of HR and OD
Hi I’m Kate, Deputy Director of HR and OD for the trust. I am a very lucky wife and mummy to three children and with family life and a senior role within the trust life is never boring!
I work four days a week which provides the right work-life balance for my family and I. I often hear people say “You’re lucky to get a day off” but I’m sure fellow parents out there would agree that no day is really a day off!
I have been part of the Northumbria family for 16 years now, beginning my career as part of the National Graduate Scheme. I have carried out a number of HR roles within Northumbria Healthcare and studied to complete my HR qualifications alongside working. I am so thankful to the trust for supporting me to do this and I think it’s fantastic that Northumbria is able to offer flexible training opportunities to support staff to progress in their careers.
I was brought up with a strong work ethic, learning resilience and teamwork through my love of sport. My drive and determination come from being the youngest of three and my strong family values play a huge part in who I am today.
International Women’s Day is really important to celebrate in order to continue to try and achieve gender equality. I am lucky to be surrounded by lots of really inspiring women in my family and it is also a real privilege to work with inspiring women every day. Supporting each other is key to making life at work and at home a success.
A few years ago, I heard someone say that people who work part time can’t possibly be as engaged as those who work full time. This gave me the determination and drive to prove that working part time and achieving at work is absolutely possible.
Happy International Women’s Day – we’ve got this!
Find out more about International Women’s Day campaign here https:/