Who Am I Now? Navigating Career, Identity and Connection After Becoming a Parent or Carer

Lisa Powney is a bold, funny, and refreshingly real voice in personal growth and culture change. With 25+ years in banking, consultancy, coaching, and transformation, she blends professional insight with the honesty of being a mum, leader, trustee, and human work-in-progress. Author of The Worst Self-Help Guru Ever!, Lisa uses humour, humility, and her Only HUMAN framework to help people beat overwhelm, build momentum, and lead authentically—leaving audiences moved, inspired, and equipped with practical tools.

Sarah is the founder of PR and marketing business Flawless Comms and chair of our Parent and Carer Committee at Pro Manchester. Having spent her early career leading some of the country’s leading marketing agencies, Sarah went on to become a first time mum during lockdown, before having twin boys in 2023. She had to make radical changes to her life and her career to navigate the juggle and establish her new identity, in all areas of her life.

Ben splits his week between Cornerstone Resources and as a stay-at-home dad, raising his two young boys alongside his wife. Having worked in both self-employed and employed capacities, agency-side and in-house, he understands the pressure of juggling various roles and the impact it can have on the most important relationships in our lives. He has lived through the mental shift that happens when switching focus from career growth as an individual, to balancing the commitments of work alongside raising young children.

Emily has worked at Myerson Solicitors as their Senior People Executive for just under five years, where she supports the firm across all People & Culture matters. She is responsible for supporting the delivery of the firm’s People strategy, by managing core HR initiatives, including employee wellbeing, family leave, learning and development, and performance management. Emily is committed to fostering a positive employee experience and implementing initiatives that help strengthen and sustain Myerson’s culture.

Emily is currently studying towards the Level 7 CIPD qualification and is undertaking a research project exploring the support available to working parents and its impact on employee wellbeing – an area she is particularly passionate about.

Max is CEO and Co-Founder of Upp B2B, one of the region’s leading B2B marketing agencies. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Max has spent more than 35 years in B2B marketing and over 25 years building and leading a successful agency, working with brands including DHL, The Financial Times, Elsevier, London Business School, AO, CHEP, Informa and many other UK and international organisations. Upp B2B is officially recognised as a Great Place to Work™ and is a multi-award winner.

Alongside her professional career, Max has experienced first-hand the realities of balancing the demands of running a growing business while caring for her elderly parents who both had different forms of dementia. It’s an experience that challenged her in ways, changed her perspective on leadership (and what success looks like), and fundamentally reshaped her own identity and view of work life.

Joining the panel, Max will share an open and personal account of her life as a carer juggling care responsibilities with running a busy agency. Through the challenges, lessons and moments of sheer overwhelm, she will reflect on what she has learned about resilience, compassion and the importance of asking for support. Inspired by her own journey, Max is now working towards a long-held ambition of establishing a charity dedicated to supporting people who are caring for elderly parents or relatives while balancing the pressures of work and everyday life. Expect a heartfelt, insightful, and honest conversation, with plenty of practical reflections and the occasional laugh along the way.