Strategic Parental Leave — and the Conversations Leaders Avoid

In this candid episode of We’re Not Recording, Roxanne Petraeus—Ethena’s CEO and an expectant mom—joins VP of People Melanie Naranjo to unpack the real, often avoided conversations around parental leave. Together they explore the tension between business needs and human realities, from the fear of announcing a pregnancy to the unspoken pressure on women to “do it all.” They question toxic positivity around maternity leave, challenge outdated assumptions about ambition, and share what it actually looks like to build fair, flexible policies without losing honesty or empathy. It’s a grounded, funny, and refreshingly real look at what leaders and employees both wish they could say about balancing work, family, and ambition.