RiverStone International recognised as a Great Place to Work™ for Women

We are proud to have been recognised as a Great Place to Work for Women. In this article Risk Director Amy Barber shares her experience.

I started my RiverStone career in June 2022. At the time when I was looking for a new job, my twin girls weren’t even two years old so work life balance, as well as a job that would interest me, were top of my list. I remember looking at the RiverStone values on their website thinking it seemed like a down to earth company and they specifically mentioned about being hard working, but not at the expense of your families. Most companies do strive for work life balance but culture, working practices and subtle tone from the top may indicate otherwise. I took a chance to take them at face value.

From day one, the welcome was overwhelmingly warm. I got to know the management team, and everyone seemed to get along well and there was little time for any office politics which was refreshing (and different from the previous companies that I’ve worked in). Everyone is focused on working together and playing their part in meeting the company goals.

In the earlier stages of my career, I never minded working late. However, now as a full-time working mum, balancing both family and career requires good organisation, time prioritisation and forward planning. For me, what is important is that I spend some quality time with my family.  I decided that I would aim to finish work on time every day as I wanted to prioritise family dinners together. I am fine to work around other times but this I was aiming would be non-negotiable. I’m happy to say that I’ve managed to keep that priority whilst still balancing and meeting my work needs. 

There was one stand out moment for me in my journey so far with RiverStone which spoke volumes about the tone from top.  There was one night I was uncharacteristically working late to get a report out and I remember the next time I met with the Group CEO, one of his side comments was that he was surprised that I was working late and effectively asking me why.  It’s always great confirmation that this indeed is management’s attitude as I think working mums tend to suffer from “mum guilt” anyway in terms of the amount of time and effort they can put into their families let alone when we feel pressure from others pulling us to match the hours that some people work.

I’m not long in my RiverStone journey but I am pleased that due to the dynamic nature of the company, there were opportunities to progress. I think most working mums tend to be in survival mode where you are so busy spinning all the plates that you have in the air.  It’s been surprising that at a time when most women are looking to get by in this busy season, that I have been promoted into another department and now part of the Executive management team. It definitely makes you feel appreciative when in this passing season of young kids, that you can be recognised for your capabilities despite your capacity being more limited. 

When I heard that RiverStone was recognised as a Great Place to Work for Women, it didn’t surprise me, and I am pleased that the company is getting publicly recognised for what has been true in my experience. The two women predecessors that used to look after Internal Audit before me can also attest that they have moved on and been promoted to other areas in RiverStone which speaks well of the company’s inclusive culture. I look forward to continuing my RiverStone career and what else the future brings.