A conversation on female leadership | Leen Van Wambeke and Kimberly Hermans

To celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2025, we dedicated time during our Diversity Week in Belgium to discuss female leadership. We had the pleasure of welcoming two inspiring female leaders, Leen Van Wambeke and Kimberly Hermans, who shared their experiences and insights on their leadership journeys so far.

During your career, did you ever encounter any bias?

Leen: Although, we have come a long way and times are luckily changing, the way we look at the impact of parenthood on the career of women and men remains different. This example dates from a while ago. Right after the birth of my second son, my HR Director at the time came to me and said, “Wow, Leen, you really planned the birth of your children well – both in the summer!” This was, in the context back then, clearly a reference to the fact that business tends to be quieter during that period, making my absence less of an "issue".

Kimberly: I started my career with a passion for helping companies based on the insights from data. With hard work and a supportive manager that saw my potential, I quickly advanced from Young Graduate to Data Scientist, then at my customers from Lead Data Scientist to Project Manager and eventually roles like Programme Manager and Machine Learning Engineering Manager. The same path followed internally where I, with the right preparation with regards to vision & strategy, evolved to Practice Lead. When a position for Business Unit Director became available, I learned that skills and customer successes alone weren’t the only factors in career progression, and I for the first time noticed bias.

In general, what differences do you notice between female and male leaders?

Kimberly: In my experience, people management is just as critical to leadership as business or technical expertise. Truly seeing your team members, helping them grow, and putting them in a position to thrive isn’t just good leadership – it directly drives performance. Yet in many traditionally masculine leadership cultures, there’s a strong focus on results, resilience, and being “tough” on people, often leaving little room for the more human-centered aspects of leadership. Women, in my view, often lead with more empathy and are naturally attuned to the well-being and growth of their teams. It’s not about one style being better than the other – it’s the combination that creates real strength. Unfortunately, the power of purpose and happiness in boosting productivity is still vastly underestimated. I truly believe that embracing more balanced, inclusive leadership approaches benefits not just individuals, but the entire organisation.

What differences do you notice as a female leader with children, compared to male leaders with children?

Leen: After having my two sons, I initially decided to work four days a week. I quickly realised that it didn’t make me happy. I sincerely believe that finding your own balance in your different roles – private and professional -, is what makes you a happy and satisfied person and allows you to be the best version of yourself. For me, it was the combination of motherhood and professional growth. That said, I must admit that it often felt like I needed 25% more energy than my male colleagues to keep up.

Kimberly: One difference I’ve noticed is that, as a female leader with children, my absence due to maternity leave was less smoothly absorbed than what I’ve seen with male leaders who become fathers. It’s not that they don’t take on responsibilities at home, but their absence is often shorter and their return more seamless, with structures quickly adapting around them. I also feel that the guilt and amount of responsibility that females burden themselves with is very present making the constant balance of work and family very heavy.

What advice would you give to women who aspire to become leaders?

Leen: My first piece of advice would be: “Dare to jump.” Women often overthink things, seeing obstacles that aren’t really there. It’s better to follow your intuition, take the leap, and deal with challenges as they come. Secondly, “Be aware and stay ahead of challenges.” Take control of your own career and be proactive. Of course, it’s not always easy – you have to juggle many responsibilities, both at work and at home – but being in the driver’s seat of your own journey makes all the difference.