Can Motherhood Shape Great Leaders? IE Business School and Make Mothers Matter Say Yes

Angela Garcia Romero, MMM’s Project Director, drew on key findings from the State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 report to help frame the discussion around the urgent need to rethink how motherhood is perceived and supported in the professional world.

The conversation revealed shocking data from the report:

• 50% of mothers in Europe report suffering from mental health issues
• 55% changed their working status after having children
• Nearly 27% say motherhood negatively impacted their careers
• And 25% of fathers took no paternity leave, despite being entitled to it

The event created space for a long-overdue conversation: one that brings motherhood, career, and leadership into the same frame. These are three dimensions of women’s lives that are too often discussed separately — or not at all.

The panel featured inspiring voices from across sectors, including Lorena García Fernández, Olga Mesa Serrano, and Sonia Ventosa, who generously shared their experiences navigating professional ambition while raising children.

By bringing this data into a business school setting, MMM made a bold statement: the future of leadership must recognise and integrate the experience of motherhood. Far from being a barrier to success, raising children fosters resilience, adaptability, empathy, and purpose — all essential qualities in 21st-century leadership.

This event reflects MMM’s broader mission to ensure that mothers’ voices, needs, and contributions are recognised in all spheres of life — especially where decisions are made.