Gender Roles Be Damned: This Startup CEO Quit His Job to Be a Better Dad Max Schireson says that, as a male CEO, he's never been asked how he balances being a father and running a company.
By Jason Fell
The perception of men and women executives and their family lives is often skewed. People still expect women to struggle with balancing family and work. Men? Not so much.
Meanwhile, at least one male CEO is putting his family first. So much so that he's quitting his job.
On his personal blog, Max Schireson, CEO of New York City-based open-source document database startup MongoDB, announced that he is stepping down from his role as chief executive in order to spend more time with his wife and three children, who live in California.
"As a male CEO, I have been asked what kind of car I drive and what type of music I like, but never how I balance the demands of being both a dad and a CEO," Schireson wrote. "Friends and colleagues often ask my wife how she balances her job and motherhood. Somehow, the same people don't ask me."
Related: Hey, Dad: Give Your Daughter's Career a Boost. Do the Dishes.
To be clear, Schireson isn't quitting MongoDB altogether. He's transitioning to vice chairman and will "remain with the company full time," MongoDB announced in a press release.
Earlier this summer, Today Show host Matt Lauer came under fire for asking newly-appointed General Motors CEO Mary Barra if she thinks she is an equally good executive and parent. Some people called the question sexist. Lauer defended himself by saying he would have asked a male executive the same question.
"Life is about choices," Schireson wrote. "Right now, I choose to spend more time with my family and am confident that I can continue to have an [sic] meaningful and rewarding work life while doing so."
Schireson's full post is worth a read. You can find it here.
Related: Stop Fixing Women to Act Like Men
