Ellen's blog

I thought I’d start with a topic close to my heart - Women on Boards. To be clear, that’s ironing boards – I’m quite passionate about reducing the number of women on ironing boards, or at least minimizing their time spent at them. If your resident staff-members are off sick or you don’t live in Downton Abbey or have any domestic servants, then you might like some ideas on making the best possible use of the time you have to spend on these tasks. Obviously I am relying on all of you to have eliminated non-essential items from the pile of ironing before you start? For example, pyjamas do not deserve your precious time, likewise any garments designed to be worn underneath other garments. I also like to restrict the eligibility of childrens’ clothes for ironing (as my kids are 3 and one I find their clothes become so filthy that being un-ironed is the least of their problems). Given how busy us Citymothers are, we need to maximize the use of our “down time” spent ironing, commuting etc. Pelvic floor exercises during down time goes without saying. But what about listening to an audio book on Chinese politics while you iron your work shirts? Or watching the results-show of Strictly on iplayer (all the fun of the live show, but without the boring “here they are in training / in an ambulance due to sprained ankle” bits).

Whilst stuck on a train recently I finally downloaded some audio articles from The Economist to listen to whilst on the commute with eyes closed (previously the need to close my eyes was a major limiting factor when it came to reading the magazine). I can rarely fall asleep on trains (unless alcohol-assisted) but I find I do need to close my eyes and attempt to recharge the batteries where possible (not easy unless seated). I find being well-informed on world events, market developments, political instability, celebrity divorces, is extremely important in creating the impression that you are a well-balanced and well-informed individual whose knowledgeability is unaffected by having children  - even if your physical appearance can sometimes be compromised when they wipe your noses on your hair or drool on your suit on the way into nursery.

Ellen works for a well-known investment bank in the City. She began her career at KPMG, before moving on to Barclays, HSBC and Aviva before joining her current employer almost three years ago.  She has two children aged three and one, who divide their working week between nursery and grandma's house.