The Silent Stages of Women’s Careers: Fertility, Menopause & Everything in Between

Session Summary: This session provides a supportive, informative space for women navigating fertility journeys while balancing professional growth. It addresses both the emotional and logistical challenges of family planning, IVF, pregnancy loss, and related experiences within the workplace.

Key areas include:

  • Understanding Fertility Challenges: Insights into common fertility treatments, timelines, and the emotional impact of infertility or pregnancy loss.

  • Workplace Policies & Legal Considerations: Guidance on rights, accommodations, leave policies, and best practices for discussing fertility-related needs with employers.

  • Managing Career Impacts: Strategies for maintaining visibility, managing workloads, and continuing professional development during fertility treatments or medical leaves.

  • Cultural Support & Advocacy: How to create and leverage supportive workplace environments, including mentorship, peer networks, and advocacy for policy improvements.

Speakers

Ana López

Ana López Gobernado is a senior Diversity, Equity, Inclusion leader currently working at LyondellBasell (LYB), where she helps shape more inclusive cultures and equitable employee experiences, with a strong focus on women’s advancement, psychological safety, representation, and embedding equity throughout the employee journey. Across her career, she has led strategic culture, engagement, operations, and transformation work in highly international environments, influencing initiatives across Europe and globally.

Ana complements her corporate Fairness and Inclusion expertise with a strong academic and integrative lens. She holds Master’s degrees in Digestive Health & Microbiota and Hormonal Health and Natural Gynecology, has expert training in Nutrition, and professional credentials in organizational culture & inclusion strategy, leadership, coaching, and facilitation. This multidisciplinary foundation enables her to bridge gender equity, health, leadership, and career development in ways that are both practical and deeply human-centered.