The Vital Role Of The Menopause Influencer For Women Business Leaders

Fiona McKay reflecting on her vital role as a global menopause influencer.

In the world of high-growth companies and corporate boardrooms, menopause is rarely part of the conversation and yet, it should be. As CEO of The Menopause Maze and a recognized leader in both women's health and business, I, Fiona McKay, have become known as The Menopause Career Coach, and increasingly, a menopause influencer for the top 1% of women business leaders around the world. Women who are leading multi-million-dollar companies, sitting at the helm of growth-focused organizations, female founders of hyper-growth companies that they own who are determined to keep scaling their careers and companies and lead without limits through every stage of navigating menopause.

Menopause Isn’t Just About Symptoms. It’s About Sustained Leadership and Growth.

Menopause is typically framed in terms of physical challenges - hot flashes, mood swings, sleepless nights. While these are real, for elite women leaders, menopause presents a different set of challenges. It affects leadership stamina, strategic decision-making, and the ability to continue growing billion-dollar businesses while managing menopause. This is where my influence comes into play—not just as an advocate for menopause awareness, but as the solution provider who ensures women in leadership keep excelling.

Women in senior roles face a unique reality: they are driving high-stakes results, managing teams, and making critical decisions while navigating menopause. Yet too many business environments offer little to no menopause benefits that deliver multi-dimensional support, leaving women to 'just get through it.' We ran a survey on LinkedIn and 71% of women leaders said they would leave and move to a new employer if it provided them with a business and leadership professional menopause career coach. But thriving through menopause, while continuing to lead and scale, is not only possible - it’s essential for sustained career success. That’s where The Menopause Maze and the NOPAUSE™ Optimiser come in.

Why Menopause Needs to be a Business Priority

The impact of menopause on female leadership is under-represented, and it's costing companies. I’ve seen firsthand how a lack of support for high-achieving women during menopause leads to lost talent, stalled growth, and diminished performance. Women are either forced to compromise or step back—and I’m here to change that. And that’s why for workplaces we designed The Menopause Maze method - a total menopause optimisation solution for UK and US workplaces.

As a menopause influencer, my role is to drive the integration of menopause-friendly strategies into the very fabric of business growth. This is not just a women's health issue - it’s a leadership issue, a business sustainability issue, and a billion-dollar opportunity for companies that understand the value of retaining their top female leaders.

How I’m Changing the Conversation for Women in the Boardroom

I founded The Menopause Maze because I realized that women need more than just medical advice and symptoms sessions, they need a strategic approach to menopause that aligns with their business growth and career goals. Through tailored coaching, strategic career and leadership alignment, and workplace reform, I equip women to lead without limits. The NOPAUSE™ Optimiser, for example, is a performance-driven but more importantly specific business and leadership coaching designed for high-level women leaders who want to fast-track their career and business growth goals through menopause with their careers still in high gear.

This is more than a coaching program—it’s a research based approach, and a multi-award winning method to redefine menopause as a time of opportunity, not retreat. My work ensures that menopause becomes a pivotal stage in a woman’s leadership journey, not a barrier to her growth.

What Does It Mean to Be a Menopause Influencer?

It means driving action, not just awareness. It means leading the charge when speaking on global stages as an expert menopause speaker in integrating menopause into corporate strategy and leadership development, so that women can thrive at the highest levels. My influence is rooted in results: transforming the way businesses support and equip their female leaders during menopause to boost retention, performance, and growth.

Businesses that fail to adapt will lose out on the incredible leadership potential that women bring during this pivotal life stage. But those who invest in menopause-optimised strategies will outperform their competition, retaining loyal, empowered, and thriving leaders.

Let’s Make Menopause a Strategic Business Imperative

It’s time to stop treating menopause as a private struggle and start recognizing it as a critical business opportunity. I’m here to ensure that every female leader has the support she needs to continue growing her career and her company, through all stages of menopause.

Whether you’re a top-tier female executive navigating menopause, or a business leader looking to retain and empower your female talent, it’s time to take action. Let’s elevate the conversation and make menopause a part of your business growth strategy.