Why &BEYOND
&BEYOND offers a complete maternity transition programme supporting HR, managers and employees before, during and beyond maternity leave.
While most organizations have strong parental leave policies, the implementation is often unclear and under-structured, leaving both returning parents and managers without the tools to navigate this critical career transition effectively, especially during the return phase.
&BEYOND helps organizations embed consistency and clarity into the return-to-work process, strengthening engagement, improving retention, and supporting long-term leadership development.
Research-informed, validated through practice
Developed through qualitative research with women worldwide across 10 industries and validated through coaching women across their maternity transitions. &BEYOND combines research insights with real-life application to translate common challenges into practical tools, frameworks, and conversations that support meaningful and lasting change.
A whole-organisation approach, designed for long-term impact
Supporting people teams, managers, and employees alike, &BEYOND bridges the gap between policy and practice through aligned processes, manager capability, and individual coaching. The result is a more consistent maternity transition experience that strengthens talent retention, leadership pipelines, employee engagement, and long-term organisational performance.
ICF-accredited expertise, backed by corporate experience
The &BEYOND methodology is developed and led by Isabel Theissen, an ICF-accredited leadership coach with over 13 years of experience in global organisations. To support larger employee populations, coaching is delivered through a curated network of trusted &BEYOND coaches who are trained in the programme's methodology, quality standards, and coaching approach. This ensures every participant receives the same high-quality experience while allowing the programme to scale sustainably.
Book an introductory consultation to explore how &Beyond can support you.
About Isabel Theissen
Isabel Theissen is an ICF-accredited leadership coach specialising in the maternity transition and its impact on careers, leadership, and organisational performance.
She founded &BEYOND and developed its methodology to strengthen how maternity leave and return-to-work transitions are experienced, supported, and managed, and leads its implementation, working alongside a curated network of trusted &BEYOND coaches to deliver the programme at scale while ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience.
Her approach is shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience of navigating the realities of combining motherhood and a corporate career. This gives her a grounded understanding of what actually happens during this transition.
Isabel’s work challenges the idea that returning from maternity leave is a simple “bounce back” moment. Instead, she focuses on what she defines as a leadership transition: a period of adaptation, identity shift, and capability development that requires structure, support, and intentional leadership on both sides.
Her work helps organisations move from well-intentioned policy to meaningful implementation, ensuring that maternity transitions become a supported part of the employee lifecycle, rather than a point of attrition or disruption.
Through this lens, she supports organisations in retaining talent, strengthening leadership pipelines, and building more inclusive, sustainable ways of working.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A maternity transition consultancy helps organizations create a more structured and sustainable approach to the journey before, during, and beyond maternity leave. &BEYOND works across the organization — with HR, managers and employees — to strengthen the processes, support and skills needed to navigate this transition effectively.
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&BEYOND works with organizations that want to improve how they support employees through maternity leave and their return to work. We work primarily with HR, People, and DEI teams, as well as managers and leaders responsible for supporting employees through this transition.
We also provide individual support for women in leadership who would like personalised guidance throughout their maternity transition. -
Many organizations already have parental leave policies in place. &BEYOND focuses on what happens around those policies: how the transition is planned, communicated, and experienced in practice. Our approach looks beyond leave itself, with particular focus on the return-to-work phase and the longer-term impact on engagement, retention, and leadership.
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Our support is tailored to each organization's needs. Depending on your challenges, this can include organizational consulting and advisory, manager training, employee support and coaching, or a combination of these. We begin with a consultation to understand where you are today and identify where support could have the greatest impact.
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Yes. &BEYOND offers one-to-one coaching for women navigating maternity leave and the transition back to work. This individual support complements our organizational work and is designed to help women navigate the transition with greater clarity, confidence and intention.
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Ideally, maternity transition support starts before leave — but it is never too late to improve the experience. &BEYOND can support organizations at any stage, whether you are reviewing your existing approach, preparing for an upcoming return, equipping managers or looking to build a more consistent maternity transition strategy.
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Our work is rooted in the maternity transition, but the principles extend beyond the individual employee and can be applied to other types of leaves. A well-supported transition benefits managers, teams, and organizations as a whole and can contribute to a broader culture where caregiving and leadership can coexist sustainably.
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Start with an introductory consultation. We’ll discuss your current approach, challenges and priorities, and explore where &BEYOND could support you. There is no one-size-fits-all solution — the first step is understanding what your organization needs.