Managing Miscarriage, the Importance of Paternity Leave, and Being Vulnerable at Work with Sandra Ernst

The physical and emotional effects of a miscarriage, advocating for paternity leave to become a norm, and having an empathetic and vulnerable leadership style. I talk to Sandra Ernst about being a working mum and responding to the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood. 

Sandra Ernst has been working in C-level roles in fintech since 2016. Prior, she worked in finance roles across Central Europe and Malaysia. Now, she is a COO at Igloo, an insurtech company in Southeast Asia. Sandra opens up about the miscarriage she suffered from a few years back and how she bounced back. Today, she's a proud mom of a daughter, aged 21 months old.

Opening up to share with others about her miscarriage was tough on Sandra, as she originally believed in carrying a work-only personality. However, that changed when she decided to talk about her miscarriage at the workplace - what she calls “one of the best decisions”. The conversation was an encouragement to her colleagues, as much as they were an encouragement to her, enabling a more empathetic and vulnerable leadership style to take form.  

Sandra believes that paternity leaves should become a norm. Working dads should be free to take paternity leave without fear of penalization or being questioned - it is after all, a step towards an equal footing between men and women in the workplace. 

To get in touch with Sandra Ernst, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sandraernst. 

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