Professional Duos Make Dual Careers Work at PwC

By Robin Madell, San Francisco

Dual-career couples represent a large and growing segment of the international workforce. A 2011 study by the SPE Talent Council, which reported results from 93 countries, suggests that dual-career couples comprise about half of the workforce globally.

According to a 2012 Catalyst study, nearly 60 percent of married couples with children in the United States were dual-career couples in 2011. A recent article published by the American Counseling Association (ACA) reports that the number within major U.S. corporations may be as high as 70 percent, and notes that earlier research has predicted that the percentage may climb to 80 percent in the next decade.

In addition to these percentages reported for heterosexual married couples, there are also many gay and lesbian working couples in the mix. The ACA article noted that the number of gay and lesbian dual-career couples is expected to increase along with straight couples. The article also pointed out that gay and lesbian dual-career couples “share common relationship and career experiences with dual-career heterosexual couples, such as time management, multiple roles, and division of labor.”

Helping Dual-Career Couples Stay Sane

With these facts in mind, The Glass Hammer talked to three dual-career couples at PwC about how they make work “work.” We chose PwC as a case study for this issue because of its well-known commitment to diversity, flexibility, and family policies. Jennifer Allyn, managing director in PwC’s Office of Diversity, said that the company is committed to providing “everyday flexibility” to all employees.

“Clearly, flexibility is not a ‘one size fits all’ concept, and it’s up to teams and individuals working together to define it for themselves,” says Allyn. “For some, it’s being able to leave the office early to see a child participate in a school activity, work from home on occasion, or have a predictable work schedule from week to week so that plans can be made with friends. For others, it’s more formal options, such as a telecommuting arrangement or working a reduced-hour schedule.”

Many of PwC’s programs, benefits, and support for working parents may prove to be especially useful to dual-career couples, who face special needs in juggling work and family responsibilities. These include:

• Paid parental leave
• Emergency backup childcare options
• Nanny resource and referral service
• Adoption assistance and leave
• Local parenting circles, including a national Special Needs Caregiver Circle for parents of children with special needs

Additionally, the company offers a “Mentor Moms” program, which connects new mothers or mothers-to-be with an experienced PwC mom in her regional office. “The program is designed to share the best of both worlds by providing support and guidance about the transition from maternity leave back to work,” explains Allyn. “Currently, 260 women from 45 different offices across the U.S. are enrolled as mentor volunteers, and we’ve successfully paired 80 mentees with mentor moms.”

Dual-Career Couples

Dual-career couples often have different employers yet both work outside the home. Some dual-career couples work at the same company—or at least once did—as is the case with two of the three professional pairs whom we profiled at PwC. We asked the participants to weigh in on the challenges and advantages of being a “company couple,” as well as how they resolve conflicting priorities.

DeAnne Aussem, Market Diversity and Inclusion Leader at PwC, and her registered domestic partner in the state of California, Jodie Davies, Director-IT Governance, Strategy and Planning at Mattel, Inc.

Aussem and Davies have been together for almost six years, and have been a dual-career couple since the start of their relationship. While the pair says that they have both experienced many professional successes through promotions and new opportunities, they emphasize that they remained clear on their values and priorities to avoid making commitments at work that could negatively impact their relationship.

“We’re very ambitious and equal in our careers—one doesn’t outshine the other,” says Aussem. “We work very hard, but we also try to work smart so we have time to be present with each other and our son.”

The couple met while both were employed at PwC, but Davies opted to pursue an opportunity with one of the company’s clients two years ago. Aussem says both women found it beneficial during the first years of their relationship to experience PwC’s fast pace and high-performing environment firsthand, while taking advantage of the firm’s benefits.

“It’s all about balance—a much over-used, but under-practiced word,” says Aussem. “We keep each other accountable to practicing balance while still achieving our goals professionally.”

The couple credits “lifestyle” as the top advantage of being a dual-career couple—especially as parents. “We have the financial resources to live in our dream location and do all of the things we like to do,” says Aussem. “We travel a lot and are able to provide our son with access to experiences and opportunities more easily.”

Aussem explains that frequent communication helps them navigate conflict in their personal and professional lives. Since neither woman has family close by, they find themselves frequently wrangling over logistics (for example, who will stay home with their young son when he’s sick). Yet despite this expected juggling, the pair says that they remain considerate and respectful of each others’ careers, which often requires compromise.

“We weigh up all options and take a realistic approach to what the right answer is given the situation,” says Aussem. “Given that we’re two moms raising a son, we feel it’s especially important to be a living example of how women can achieve success and happiness both personally and professionally.”

Lillian Borsa, Principal in PwC’s Risk Assurance and Sustainable Business Solutions practice, and her husband, Dennis Wieboldt, Americas Regional Sales for a global transportation and logistics company

Borsa and Wieboldt have been a dual-career couple for 14 years. During that time period, the couple got married and had two children. Professionally, Borsa became a partner at PwC. Wieboldt’s role in a separate organization changed several times, including a move from operations to sales.

Borsa says PwC’s leadership and organizational culture has provided her with the opportunities she needed at a pace that has worked well for her both professionally and personally during her more than two decades at the firm. “PwC has provided me with flexibility when I needed it most,” says Borsa. “For us as a couple, it has meant that I have had choices around how fast I wanted to move through my career.”

Borsa says that the biggest advantage of being part of a dual-career couple is continuous growth and development. “Our careers have enabled us to have a myriad of experiences,” says Borsa. “I think it is an important part of what makes our relationship work.

In terms of special challenges that dual-career couples face, Borsa cites limited time and logistics. “The most significant challenge we have is lack of time to do it all, do it well, and logistically correct,” says Borsa. “Before we had children, we agreed that we would raise our children together and both be ‘present.’ However, our professions require long hours and travel; we don’t expect our clients to have to deal with our challenges so we work especially hard to deal with them proactively.”

To that end, the couple sets aside part of their limited time for upfront communication and project planning. Their efforts in this area help them navigate the inevitable conflicts that arise. “We have become much more effective at dealing with shorter-term conflicts since we became aggressive with project planning; we have two whiteboards and a calendar with a 60-day outlook in our laundry room!” says Borsa.

Esther Antonio, Senior Manager at PwC, and her husband, Emmanuel Gwatidzo

Antonio and Gwatidzo have been a dual-career couple for almost 12 years. The year after they were married, they each earned their Chartered Accountancy certification. Today, after moving from Zimbabwe, they both work at PwC in New York, and also have children. Antonio says that it’s great to be able to share ideas, challenges, and success stories with someone who really understands what she does and who works in a similar environment.

“I think as couples, we grow up together, in a sense that we are able to share a lot of similar experiences,” says Antonio. “It also allows us to immerse ourselves in raising the children together, as it is not possible to completely separate and define roles.”

On the down side, Antonio admits that the blurred line between the roles in a marriage can be tough, particularly given the pair’s cultural background. “The day-to-day management with the children and finding time to pursue other interests is challenging,” says Antonio. “Balancing the career priorities, who scales back and who goes at full speed.” In the end though, they believe that everything works out for the good of the family unit as a whole.

To resolve conflicts that may arise in competing priorities, the couple tries to plan in a way that helps them avoid both having “mission-critical meetings” at the same time. If that fails, they turn to their support network of friends and babysitters, since they have no family nearby. “It is really challenging sometimes to manage the work-life balance with the competing schedules,” she says. “We try to get really strategic in terms of the outcome that will be better for the family overall and we approach it that way. We tend to be comfortable with the decisions made along the way.”