Here’s How Navan Empowers Working Parents

Being a working parent is no easy feat. However, when a company values employees who are also parents through programs and support, it can make a world of difference. 

At Navan, we offer our global employees a paid parental leave program, internal resource groups, and personalized support to ensure they can balance their professional and personal lives. 

With summer in full swing (and kids out of school) in the Northern Hemisphere, the Navan team caught up with several working parents to see how they manage it all — and how Navan supports them in being super-parents.

Ana is a senior recruiter in Lisbon. Her role involves sourcing, recruiting, and hiring top talent across EMEA for various business functions. Ana recently returned from parental leave, during which she spent time bonding with her daughter. 

“Parental leave allowed me to take the necessary time to recover and bond with my baby without work stress,” said Ana. “This time was essential for establishing new routines and ensuring our well-being.” 

The transition back into the workforce can be challenging for anyone, but Ana was grateful for the support she received. 

“My manager proved exceptionally supportive and understanding during this sensitive time,” she said. “Transitioning from being a full-time mother to re-entering the workforce demands a significant adjustment and a shift in focus from childcare to professional responsibilities. I’m fortunate to have a manager who recognized this complexity and provided me the space and support to acclimate gradually.”  

Since becoming a parent, Ana has developed new skills and qualities that have benefited her professionally.

“As a parent, I’ve honed my multitasking abilities, enhanced active listening and communication skills, and cultivated strong empathy and patience,” she said. “These qualities seamlessly translate into my professional role by fostering effective teamwork and understanding diverse perspectives.”

Elliot, a major account executive based in New York City, recently celebrated his 5th anniversary with Navan. Upon recognition of this milestone, his colleagues referred to him as “the king of Q&A sessions,” “a legend,” “the king of the east,” and “the man who outworks the world.” But at home, he’s just known as “Dada.”

Elliot welcomed his first child, Charlie, while at Navan. Charlie is now 2 years old, and Elliot awaits his second child’s arrival later this summer. 

“Early-stage growth companies are not always the easiest place to find parental support,” said Elliot. “I appreciated the bespoke plan to create pipeline coverage while on my paternity leave so that I didn’t need to build from scratch upon returning. Navan’s deal cycles are heavily team-oriented, which creates a much more natural handoff and coverage point when stepping away from deals for some time.” 

“As a salesperson, we live on a variable income, and the ability to earn on-target earnings while away gave me peace of mind. Further, I felt complete support for all of my active deals. I was confident they would progress with the same focus and discipline I wish to bring. From what I’ve heard from other reps, the team-selling environment we’ve built at Navan is rare in sales cultures.” 

Since becoming a father, Elliot has found more patience in himself and a community at Navan filled with other supportive parents and understanding peers. Sometimes, those peers even get special shout-outs at home: “My son names his toy cars after my coworkers, who I often talk to on the phone,” he said, adding that he named his favorite truck “Lupo” after Matthew Shephard-Lupo, another major account executive.

Jaques is a business travel consultant based in Atlanta, Georgia, who assists Navan users with their corporate travel and expense needs. 

After taking advantage of Navan’s parental leave program, he returned to work with a newfound appreciation for balancing work responsibilities with personal life. To take on these challenges, he developed a few strategies and routines to maintain this balance effectively. 

“I set up a dedicated office to work from home and have a schedule that the family knows,” said Jaques. “We have childcare, so I’m not worried about background noise while working. My hours and shift bids allow me to choose hours and work days that closely align with my kids’ schooling and partner’s schedule.” 

Jaques advises new working parents embarking on this new chapter to “take everything one step at a time, day by day. Be kind to yourself and set aside personal time to reset and recharge.” 

He looks forward to some summer travel plans with his family. 

“We plan to utilize Navan Personal Travel for our upcoming family excursions. The platform makes it easy to research, plan, book, and manage all aspects of our trip in one place, creating an organized experience instead of the often overwhelming experience of family travel.”

Nina Herold, based at Navan headquarters in Palo Alto, has held many titles on her journey to chief operating officer. And she recently added a new one: Mom. Nina became a mother 18 months ago and felt comfortable fully stepping away from her professional role during parental leave to spend quality time bonding with her new baby.

“I have learned how valuable time and attention are,” said Nina. “Not just physically where I am and what I am doing but also how I use mental energy. During that time, I moved from a world of constant multi-tasking to believing that you must be all in or all out. When I am parenting, I am all in on it. When I am working, I am all in on it. I’ve learned to trust the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with to take care of the things I am not focused on in a given moment. And, if there is someone I can’t trust, I will make change much faster than I would have in the past.”

The transferable skills gained since becoming a mom have also supported Nina in her executive role. 

“It’s amazing how some parenting skill sets are transferable to professional situations,” she said. “This is unique to each person and role, but generally, if you can keep your cool while a toddler is screaming unreasonable demands at you, you can likely solve any problem or challenge you face at work.” 

She continued: “If you don’t have kids, you’re probably politely laughing at this sentence … but if you have kids, you can deeply understand how not losing your mind at 7 a.m. when your toddler is screaming because you opened their yogurt when they wanted to open it themselves puts all other things into perspective for the day. It also encourages you to look at things from a different perspective. What may feel completely irrational to you may feel much different to someone else based on where they are in life.”

With summer here, Nina plans to put Navan’s personal travel tool to use. 

“We will be taking advantage of the nice weather to take a trip to visit our family on the East Coast for a week!” she said. “I have school-age nieces and nephews, so we’ll use their summer break as an excuse to get together.”

“So here’s a shout-out to all the working parents with school-aged kids,” said Nina. “Juggling summer camps, swim lessons, sports practices, pickups and drop-offs — plus keeping children fed, engaged, and off screens is no small task. Don’t forget to take a step back and pat yourself on the back!”

Join Navan’s family by exploring open roles available today.