Mothers in Business: Claire Wouters

March 11, 2025

In today’s dynamic business environment, working mothers bring unique perspectives, resilience and multitasking abilities to the workplace. By supporting and appreciating them, businesses foster a more inclusive culture and benefit from their enhanced productivity and creativity.

This March we are celebrating all the women here at Oxbow Partners for International Women’s Day 2025, and today we are hearing from one of our wonderful working mothers, Claire Wouters.

1  Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Claire

I am the General Counsel and Head of HR at Oxbow Partners

I have 3 daughters

2  What do your children think you do as a job?

Their basic understanding is that I am a lawyer and I also look after the people at work!

3  What were the biggest challenges you faced going back into the workplace after having children?

The first was confidence. I took a career break after having my first child: it took a lot of courage to push myself to apply for a new job as I felt quite out of touch having been out of the workplace for a while. The second was finding a job that would fit around my commitments as a mother: I needed to find a job that would enable me to continue to be the primary caregiver at home, but I also wanted to have a job that I found challenging and rewarding. That ruled a lot of jobs out straight away. Once back at work, it took me a while to get up to speed with systems that had changed while I was out of the workplace and to get used to being back in a professional environment.

4  How do you achieve the work/life balance between career woman and mother?

My role at Oxbow Partners gives me the best of both worlds.  I work 3 days a week, 2 of which are from home. This means I can still take my children to school every day and be at home when they come back from school 4 out of 5 days a week. I can also still go to their sports fixtures, plays and concerts and stay on top of the mountain of admin and chores that comes with being a mother! The partners are also happy for me to flex my hours according to the demands of my home life, which is invaluable. I am there for my children when they need me, but I can still pursue a satisfying and challenging career at the same time – my friends are unsurprisingly envious of the flexibility I have!

5  If you could give your pre-children self once piece of advice about being a working mother, what would it be?

Think carefully about what your priorities are for your home life and your career once you have children and look for a role that can give you the balance you need. Don’t assume that you won’t be able to find it!

6  Have your career goals and aspirations changed since becoming a working mother?

Yes absolutely. My children are a big part of any decision I make regarding my career.  My career has to work alongside my “other” job as a mother, so I am no longer solely focussed on my own aspirations.

7  What are your future goals/plans in the next few years?

Oxbow Partners is growing rapidly, so there will be a lot for me to do to continue to grow our HR and Legal capabilities. I’m really looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that this will bring.

8  If you had the power to change one thing in the business market for working mothers, what would that be?

For more businesses to be open to helping women work flexibly around their family commitments and to helping women come back to work after a career break.

9  What’s the best piece of business advice you have been given?

Trust your instincts.