122. COMEBACK – Rakhi Sachdeva – Microsoft – missing work on maternity leave – stretch in your career before you feel ready – “hype me” folder – self advocacy

Comeback Coach

Comeback Coach
122. COMEBACK – Rakhi Sachdeva – Microsoft – missing work on maternity leave – stretch in your career before you feel ready – “hype me” folder – self advocacy
Mar 03, 2026
Jessica Chivers

Ask me a Q

My guest today is Microsoft’s AI Workforce Lead for Government who recently returned to the business after her second maternity leave. Rakhi Sachdeva moved from India to the UK in 2015 and she’s risen in one of the world largest technology companies without a traditional tech background. 

Rahki is a wonderful example of the power of not waiting until you feel fully ready before you put yourself forward for opportunities at work - and on that note, if you are a mother in a senior role who is feeling stuck or torn about whether or when to push for the next significant step up I would love you to be part of the second Raising & Rising cohort in London in October. It’s a very special one day leadership career retreat for 12 women with me and parenting expert and author Anita Cleare and you can find out more at www.talentkeepers.co.uk/rising


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Episode Artwork 122. COMEBACK – Rakhi Sachdeva – Microsoft – missing work on maternity leave – stretch in your career before you feel ready – “hype me” folder – self advocacy 40:44 Episode Artwork 121. EXPERT – Helen Beedham - Freedom at work – stay interviews - retaining your best people – why do we make brilliant individual contributors people managers? 47:12 Episode Artwork 120. BONUS – coaching success stories – Meena Santhosh, Selina Tyler & Karina Langan (coaching commissioner) from three asset management firms on comeback coaching for maternity leave 24:38 Episode Artwork 119. BONUS – coaching success stories – Laura Scougall (coachee) & Kirsty Duncan (coach commissioner) at ITV on the positive ripple effect of coaching 24:49 Episode Artwork 118. BONUS – coaching success stories - IP lawyer Jessica Duncombe on the efficiency, effectiveness and breadth of coaching 20:22 Episode Artwork 117. COMEBACK – Jeremy Bradbury – ITV – Coaching through ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – how coaching shifted my mindset and helped me make sustainable return to work 31:41 Episode Artwork 116. JESSICA - Stop wasting mothers' potential in UK businesses - why it's taken me 14 years to co-create Raising & Rising for mothers in senior roles 25:42 Episode Artwork 115. COMEBACK – Steph Ogden – CEO HDI Global – Stop! Step away from the business on maternity leave (it won’t fall apart without you). 39:38 Episode Artwork 114. JESSICA - How knowing your values and being interested in the values of others helps you lead better and enjoy sustainable career success. 32:56 Episode Artwork 113. EXPERT – Anna Marthur – You are not a failure because you failed to get the promotion – the cost of pleasing people – asking for feedback 48:17 Episode Artwork 112. COACH - Louise - Pressure to impress senior leaders after maternity - showing commitment to get promoted (and being the only mother on the team) 40:02 Episode Artwork 111. COMEBACK – Astrid Limal – The Hustle Factory - What I’d do differently if I lost my job tomorrow + using redundancy as a career catalyst and get a coach 29:09 Episode Artwork 110. JESSICA - How I coach lawyers, accountants and ambitious professionals to get better at networking for commercial and career success 35:33 Episode Artwork 109. EXPERT - Nicola Jane Hobbs - Relaxed Woman - Reclaim rest to rise in our careers - new theory of stress (GUTS) 28:53 Episode Artwork 108. COMEBACK – Norah Prida-Bay – Jupiter Asset Management – lessons from 118 interviews to get back to work after 8 year career break 42:45 Episode Artwork 107. COMEBACK - Lucy Watkins – Salesforce – returning 6 months early for dream job + how to be a peak performing leader + career acceleration after maternity 53:07 Episode Artwork 106. COACH - Emilia - Global healthcare leader - interim promotion when your boss leaves - team psychological safety - fitting in with new peers 46:19 Episode Artwork 105. COMEBACK – Danielle Wallington – Flockhere founder – building a biz after flex request refused on maternity leave – guilt + grit – community is everything. 45:00 Episode Artwork 104. COMEBACK – Samantha Downes – The Express - it's OK to be ambitious - ditching freelance for employment - is your career in bloom? 50:52 Episode Artwork 103. COMEBACK - Serge Cowan - DDRE (Netflix’s Buying London) - losing a child with cerebral palsy - divorce - starting over in business - living with anxiety 36:44 Episode Artwork 102. COMEBACK - Helena Morrissey - ex CEO - 9 maternity leaves - pay rise negotiations - 30% club founder - finances after a break 38:37 Episode Artwork 101. COMEBACK - Francesca Woodhouse - Edelman – proactive career management – working FT with 4 kids – having true partnership at home 45:16 Episode Artwork 100. LIVE SPECIAL - Raising your career through the Primary School years - candid chat with Amanda Newman, Liz Twiney, Emmie Faust & Rachel Maguire 1:00:29 Episode Artwork 99. JUST JESSICA - Psychology of crying at work – how to limit damage to your career + what managers should do when a team member cries 28:23 Episode Artwork 98. COACH – Amber – career change + not burning bridges when you have multiple (potential) job offers 40:22