What Makes Us One of the Best Workplaces for Parents? Collibrians Explain.

Collibra is thrilled to share that we were named a Best Workplace for Parents™ by Great Place to Work®. We strive to be a company where Collibrians feel supported not only as employees, but as individuals with lives beyond their work. 

Parenthood is not something you can simply turn on and off at your employer’s convenience. It’s an around-the-clock commitment that can be as unpredictable and challenging as it is beautiful and fulfilling. When we asked Collibrians what makes Collibra a great place to work, flexibility to be there for their families was a resounding highlight. 

To help parents get the time and support they need, we offer a variety of programs — including generous leave for birthing and non-birthing parents, unlimited PTO in the U.S., and an employee resource group (ERG) for parents — and a culture that prioritizes accomplishments and outcomes over a strict 9 to 5 schedule. 

Brittany Seagren of Collibra’s Legal team summed up the impact of this approach by saying, “Collibra’s culture and emphasis on balance means I get to be the parent I want to be.”

We decided the best way to showcase what makes Collibra a great workplace for parents would be to share more insights like Brittany’s, so we asked Parents at Collibra, our parents ERG, what makes Collibra a great place to work for them. Here’s what they had to say:

What makes Collibra a great workplace for parents?

“Collibra is an all-inclusive workplace built on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. This company understands that work-life balance is a priority, and family time is just as important for the well-being of an employee to be a productive member of the workforce.” Nataliya Shurupova – Senior Manager, Software Engineering

Collibrian poses with their child

“As a father of three, husband, and sole provider for my family, being confident in the future of a company I work for is incredibly important to me. Collibra’s multitude of product offerings and outstanding reputation in the data intelligence industry have me excited about where we are going as an organization.

For me, what makes Collibra a great place to work is seeing and hearing about the amazing contributions Collibrians that I helped hire make and how they directly impact the overall success of Collibra; and I have the flexibility to experience this all remotely at home with my family. I love being a Collibrian.” Anthony Cedeño – Senior Talent Acquisition Partner

“When I was hired at Collibra, one of many important discussions during onboarding was Collibra’s value on work/life balance. Collibra supports parents by offering remote work, great insurance options (medical, short-term disability, long-term disability to name a few), and a flexible schedule if needed. For example, my daughter’s school had a Thanksgiving lunch, and I was able to participate and have lunch with her. It’s priceless to be able to share these types of moments with her.” Jessica Flores-Cosby – Procurement Manager

“My little one already knows some of my colleagues from our Zoom calls, and she is only 2 years old.” Szymon Fijalkowski – Senior Technical Project Manager

“We are a culture that focuses on what you accomplish and not the hours in which you accomplish it.”

“Collibra is a great place to work as a parent because I am given great autonomy and empowerment over my schedule. If I need to flex my day to adapt to an unplanned sick kid or trip to the doctors, it’s never a problem. We are a culture that focuses on what you accomplish and not the hours in which you accomplish it. As a working parent this is critical as kids schedules constantly change — and you also get to enjoy the little things with them that happen during normal business hours.” Jessica Speciale – Senior Learning and Development Manager

“Good work life balance, flexible work schedule, unlimited vacation policy. The managers and leadership support employees in having quality work life balance and encourage them to be balanced.” Ishara Premadasa – Lead Product Sales Engineer

“Collibra is a great workplace for parents because it has a culture of understanding that family responsibilities come first. Teammates are so flexible and accommodating about daycare dropoff, appointments, having a child on your lap in a meeting, etc., and everyone is open about how their home life impacts their availability. This prioritization is respected, and it takes so much of the stress out of juggling responsibilities.” Eileen Jones – Senior Product Manager

“Collibra’s support and workplace flexibility enables my family to thrive.”

“Collibra invests in my success by fostering a great workplace culture, providing exceptional employee benefits, and encouraging the flexibility I need to be an active parent. As our children grow and develop, we gain new priorities, responsibilities, and opportunities. Collibra’s support and workplace flexibility enables my family to thrive.” Mark-Anthony Delgado – Senior Director, Production Support Engineering

“As the parent of a teenager, Collibra has been a great place to work for so many reasons. From the flexibility of work hours and also being able to work from home to be there for my daughter as needed, to the benefits offered to our family (hello orthodontia!), I feel lucky to work in a place so supportive of parents and their needs. The Collibra parents ERG has also been a great place to swap stories, pictures, and advice with both new and experienced parents all around the globe.” Christie Temple – Manager, Talent Coordination

Small child wearing Collibra sunglasses“Flexibility in work schedules, remote work, great benefits (time-off, holidays, Fridays Unplugged, and health benefits), are all very helpful to parents. This all helps parents juggle child care, sick kids, school events, etc. and still be able to be a productive employee. Fridays Unplugged are the perfect way for parents to be able to recharge their own batteries and have some self-care while children still go to daycare or school that day. Collibra makes doing both a whole lot easier.” Heather Ferguson – Global Payroll Manager

“At Collibra, managers and leadership provide ample flexibility for working parents. Colleagues are understanding if meetings need to be moved or deadlines shifted due to unforeseen family circumstances. Being able to work remotely means I can drop my kids off at school and pick them up after school as often as I want. In the summer, it means I can drop them off at camp or other activities and not completely disrupt the work day. On average, I see my kids about 2 hours more per day now than I did when I commuted to an office every day.” Justin Sharaf – VP of Marketing Operations

“I am so thankful to be at Collibra at this stage of my life. Many companies talk about flexibility and have flashy parental leave policies, but what really matters is what happens when you get back to work and the support you receive.” Lucy Whitty – Senior Account Executive

“My role with Collibra allows me to spend more time with my son. I’m there when he wakes up, get to take time in my day to play with him or read a book to him, and I’m able to spend lunchtime with him. If I were in an office environment, I’d miss out on these small moments to connect with him and see him grow. I probably wouldn’t get more than 1.5 to 2 hours a day with him. Collibra’s culture and emphasis on balance means I get to be the parent I want to be.” Brittany Seagren – Commercial Counsel

I want to be a role model for my daughter, and to show her that her two working moms are taking the world by storm.”

“I’m so grateful for the support that Collibra gave me when my wife gave birth to our first (human) child this year. My leader was really supportive and asked me about my experience throughout, checking in to see how we were. Collibra’s focus on flexible working allowed me to navigate the challenges that a challenging pregnancy brought, and I didn’t feel a need to rush back to work. Spending the first two months with our baby, and then returning to a flexible, phased schedule was amazing. I felt so grateful every day because I know that my parents did not get this flexibility when they were having me and my sisters. My dad didn’t have parental leave, for example, and instead had to take holiday. Other parents in our antenatal group also didn’t have as generous policies. Some of the non-birthing parents had to return straight to work or, again, take holiday. So many people don’t have access to adequate paid parental leave, and I couldn’t stop thinking about this, wondering how this is so. I can’t express the gratitude I felt for my experience. It made me feel even more loyal to Collibra, and I feel rejuvenated and more ambitious than ever now that I am a working parent. I want to be a role model for my daughter, and to show her that her two working moms are taking the world by storm. As a society, we don’t speak enough about the importance of empowering new parents or working parents through equitable policy. I’m proud to be an active advocate for this community in my role at Collibra and beyond.” Melissa Mavlanova-August – Head of Equity and Impact

“My only child was going off to college in September, and we went back to Chicago for the family weekend in November. In both cases I am grateful to my manager and to Collibra for understanding the need to take time off.” Uma Subbiah – Manager, IT Business Systems

Stories like these from Parents at Collibra exemplify Collibra’s commitment to building a culture where people with different backgrounds, life experiences, and aspirations can do their best work. Thank you to the parents who shared their insights, and thank you to all Collibrians for your contributions to our shared culture.

Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Equity & Impact at Collibra

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Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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