Mums in Tech ft. Harriet Christie
As part of our ‘Mums in Tech’ series, we caught up with Harriet Christie, Chief Operating Officer at MirrorWeb.
The purpose of our 'MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech & data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech & data teams for women.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
Hi! I’m Harriet, COO at MirrorWeb. MirrorWeb is a high growth Manchester-born SaaS start-up in the GRC space, providing cutting-edge surveillance solutions that help financial organisations meet their compliance needs. We successfully scaled into the US back in 2022 and now have HQ in both Manchester and Austin, Texas.
I joined MirrorWeb in 2018, tasked with building out their Account Management function following an investment round.
In true start-up fashion, the role evolved quickly and in the 6 years since joining, I’ve moved through the business, had another baby, survived and thrived through a global pandemic, quadrupled the headcount and today, I oversee the day-to-day operations of MirrorWeb and work closely with all departments across the 2 continents.
Last year we raised $63 million in growth capital; a great milestone in our success, and insight into our ambitious plans to continue to scale rapidly!
If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?
A challenging but rewarding house of cards that collapses without flexibility.
“My Why is my family, so decisions I make at work have to protect my Why. ”
How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?
The pandemic forced a spotlight on ‘balance’ - not just on working mums, but the entire working population. As a result, there’s some incredible thought leadership around it, and one that really resonates is this idea of work-life integration rather than work-life balance.
Stephen Kohler says: “Work-life balance is focused on keeping your work life and your personal life separate, but equal, whereas work-life integration is centred on the belief that there is no distinction between the two and that both must coexist in harmony”.
Integrating my life at work with my life as a mum has been lots of trial and error but key areas that have helped:
• A very supportive network! My husband, my family, my friends, all on hand to support with childcare which allows me the freedom at work to focus. My role is a broad and busy one, and it does need to take priority at times.
• Putting in some non-negotiables with the children; bedtime routine at least 3 times a week, no devices during bath/bed so I’m present, being all in for important events like sports days, concerts, etc.
• Flexible working; working across 2 time zones means I can take meaningful breaks in my day that work for both my family but also my colleagues. Whilst the days are longer for me, I integrate it well and feel like I’m achieving more in both areas.
• The Why – I talk about this at work but establishing your Why really helps me cross-check decisions. My Why is my family, so decisions I make at work have to protect my Why. A simple example: I prioritise a meeting at work that means my bedtime routine with the kids goes from 3 nights to 2 nights. By checking the Why, I move the meeting. If I start prioritising meetings over my non-negotiables or my Why, the reason I work becomes less meaningful.
What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?
Speed! SaaS moves at such a pace – we joke internally that SaaS years work like dog years; every year in the ‘real world’ equates to 7 in SaaS based on what we achieve! In SaaS, if you stand still you die.
Juggling working at pace, making decisions fast, recognising quickly when you need to pivot, and importantly getting the buy in from your teams to come on the journey with you is a challenging one. Add young children into that can make for an overwhelming challenge.
Based on the age women are having children now, they’ve generally found their career path and getting to the top of their game, whilst also navigating the formative years of a child’s life which you can’t afford to get too wrong. It’s very tough, and you find yourself constantly looking for a rule book somewhere!
That’s where tech businesses do still struggle to attract and retain mothers. In a previous business, I was made redundant whilst on maternity leave, as I was about to return to work and was asking for more flexibility. There’s a belief still that, because a business needs to work at a fast pace, that flexibility will slow them down. That’s not true.
“Mothers are efficient, strong project managers, great negotiators, we’re seasoned compromisers with buckets and buckets of patience, and we don’t sweat the small stuff”
What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?
So many. Mothers are efficient, strong project managers, great negotiators, we’re seasoned compromisers with buckets and buckets of patience, and we don’t sweat the small stuff. These are all integral skills to thrive in a business; start-ups and parenting have more similarities that you’d think. That’s why we’re trying to attract more of them!
When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?
Flexibility is the most obvious one. Returning to a job that, before you left didn’t include a tiny human in tow, requires some navigation. It’s stressful as it is; new mums generally have a confidence crisis as some point in their journey so re-joining a workforce is no mean feat. Having an employer that not only acknowledges this but embraces it is a game-changer – phased returns to work, condensed or reduced hours and understanding around last minute time off needed for poorly children. As an employer, these aren’t hard things to support and if you get it right, you’ll surround yourself with a loyal, efficient, brilliant female workforce.
Also, please show some interest in these mums! If it’s their first baby, they’ve just been through a life-changing experience scattered with highs and some real lows. I’ve seen too many times where mums returning to work play it down; it should never be played down.
“Mothers bring an immensely valuable skillset to the workplace, and if you’re going to be vilified for looking after your child, you should speak up.”
What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?
Focusing on the culture and value add to businesses, recognising the diverse skills mothers possess and ensuring your policies & processes represent this, recognising that supporting parents in parenting (or integrating their two worlds) enables them to be better employees, promoting loyalty, performance & engagement to your business.
Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?
Everybody’s circumstances are different, but from my perspective, we shouldn’t settle for being made to feel less than. Mothers bring an immensely valuable skillset to the workplace, and if you’re going to be vilified (either directly or passive-aggressively) for looking after your child, you should speak up. If this isn’t met with empathy, look elsewhere!
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