JULIETTE STEAD

I’ve had good days and bad days

I’ve found it difficult not to be overwhelmed by the sadness of the situation around the world and the feelings of collective grief. I think my emotional resilience was already low due to the bushfires - we had no chance to process this devastation or see any impact from recovery efforts.

I’ve also been absorbed with managing the APAC implications of our merger from my spare room. We’ve had to adapt in terms of bringing together two businesses while working remotely. However, I am inspired by the resilience of my team and their ability to adapt under difficult circumstances.

I have found the lack of physical separation between work and home hard, especially with an energetic child in the house during lockdown. There is no time to transition into family mode, and it’s impossible to just flick a switch. I don’t excel at balance and am very resistant to everybody’s clever tips, but I’ve been surprised that I’ve done okay with isolation - I thought I would struggle more.

My husband is a wonderful partner and an incredible father. I have no idea how single parents or parents who are both working full-time have coped through this. You’re all warriors!

I’ve had good days and bad days. Periods of being too busy to leave the house for days and bouts of insomnia and stress. But also days of finding balance - enjoying a walk by the creek, squeezing in a virtual yoga class, or even doing Cosmic Kids Yoga with my daughter. Once I accepted that lockdown would go on for some time, things changed. Even setting up a more permanent, comfortable desk space had a positive impact, both practically and psychologically. I would love companies to look at whether flexible working could be accommodated in the long term. I feel passionately about gender balance in business and in the home, and more flexible working opportunities would go a long way to create positive change.

JULIETTE STEAD

SVP, HEAD OF JAPAC AT MAGNITE