HBS MBA Mama Denita Willoughby Talks About Her Career In The Energy Sector and The “Perfect” Time To Have Kids
Last week, we introduced our readers to Denita Willoughby, a 1994 graduate of Harvard Business School. Denita is our MBA Mama of the Month for March 2016. She is married with two children. Her secret to work/life balance was having her grandmother move in to help with childcare. Speaking about the role her grandmother has played in raising her children, Denita told us:
She was like my granny/nanny. Our careers would not be the same without her. My husband is also very supportive of my success.
In addition to relying on her Granny/Nanny, Denita negotiated an interesting deal with a driver. The deal was that the driver could use Denita’s car for three years in exchange for taking Denita’s kids to and from school. As retention bonus, the driver was allowed to keep the car if she was still with Denita’s family at the end of three years. This is definitely one of the most unique arrangements we’ve heard since we launched MBA Mama. Something to keep in mind for those parents who have the resources and need help with pick-up and drop-off between home, activities, and school/daycare.
Denita currently works as a Vice President of Supply Management & Logistics, a role where she oversees SoCalGas and SDGE procurement activities. She manages supplier relationships with over $2.4 billion in expenditures and $41 million in inventory. Denita noted three key reasons that she decided to enter the energy sector:
- the industry is critical in the world economy
- the sector is constantly changing
- there are many opportunities for growth.
While she enjoys her role, Denita noted that there are many experienced people in this field and coming up to speed quickly has been challenging. Her greatest reward has been learning about a new industry and finding ways to continuously have a positive impact. For women considering a career in the energy sector, Denita offers the following advice:
Read as much as you can, build a strong brand for flawless execution and establish a robust network.
Before she worked her way up the ranks in the energy sector, Denita pursued entrepreneurship as CEO of Willoughby Group.
I was between jobs and decided to hang my own shingle. It was an incredible time in my life but made me realize I really liked working in larger corporations.
Denita is a proponent of the MBA. When speaking to us about how her time at HBS shaped her leadership style and career trajectory, Denita told us:
HBS helped me build a solid framework for problem solving and leadership. These have been critical skills to have as my career evolved.
Denita is a wonderful example of an MBA Mama who has strategically navigated family and career planning to create the life she wants. Our team constantly gets inquiries from early career women who are thinking about the right time to have kids. Denita shared this advice for MBA women considering motherhood post-MBA:
There is never a “perfect” time to have kids, I say do it as early as possible, I had mine at 30 and 33. My goal was to be done by 32 but some things you just can’t control!
