Can career women have it all? One businesswoman in Hampshire shows that it is possible to have a high-flying job and raise a family at the same time...

IT HAS traditionally been thought of as a male-dominated business, but the reality is that many women are successful carving out a career in the banking industry.

Maxine Hennessy, 36, has done precisely that, establishing herself as a high performer at Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance in Southampton as well as being a busy mother of two.

She is currently at home in Fareham, on maternity leave from her job as a regional manager and looking after baby Matthew, who was born on September 29, and two-year-old Amber.

She plans to return to work next month, when husband Mike, 40, who also works for the bank, returns to his role as the children's main carer.

Maxine said: "I have been with the bank for 17 years and I see more women coming into the type of job I am doing.

"Undoubtedly this is because the bank has been very progressive and proactive in introducing flexible work options and other ways of helping staff balance their work and home commitments."

Mike works two days a week with the management support team at the Lloyds TSB business and corporate service centre in Southampton, where 200 people are based.

He said: "I used to commute to London but the quality of life was a major factor in returning to work back in Hampshire.

"Doing things this way was primarily a financial decision because Maxine's position is stronger then mine and it makes sense, as her working hours are quite flexible. All in all we have a nice work-life balance and I enjoy my job more as a result."

The couple are the first to admit the arrangement is only made possible by the flexibility of their employer and the fact that Maxine can often work from home.

Maxine said: "The bank has been brilliant in its support, but then it does recognise that I achieve my targets.

"My diary is my own so, for example, I can take my daughter swimming on a Friday afternoon comfortable in the knowledge that I will have more than made up the time working late at night or through the weekend.

"It's a very competitive industry but there are lots of us with young children and employers understand the pressures involved."

Outside work, Maxine also finds the time to help run a business club, the Southern Business Forum, and enjoys body combat, aerobics and swimming.

Cricket is also a shared passion in the Hennessy household - Mike plays in a local league while Maxine is a qualified scorer.

Maxine said: "Inevitably having a young family limits you in terms of travelling.

"I lived in Singapore as a child so Mike and I used to enjoy long-haul holidays to places like the Galapagos Islands and Borneo.

"Now a good holiday for us means a week in the New Forest.

"Nevertheless we have a busy social life and a large circle of friends - the diary is constantly full two or three months in advance - but I still want to spend every spare minute with Amber and Matthew.

"I don't agree with having kids and then putting them in a nursery full-time when you have other options available to you. It's a case of constant juggling and being organised or - more accurately - Mike making sure I'm organised."

Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance is a UK market leader in the provision of asset-based lending, providing funding to more than 14,000 businesses.