About Us

Balancing Professionals was founded in 2004 by Kella Hatcher and Maryanne Perrin.  Their inspiration for starting Balancing Professionals was shaped by many things including their personal experiences working in successful part-time leadership roles; the growing pool of high-caliber talent they encountered seeking flexible work arrangements; and by their belief that the “one-size-fits-all” workplace model is no longer sustainable for businesses, individuals, or communities.  Hatcher and Perrin have shared their expertise about workplace flexibility at numerous events and with publications including: NC SHRM Statewide Conference, Carolina Parent Women@Work Event, Sustainable NC Annual Conference, National Association of Women Business Owners, Durham Chamber of Commerce, The Wall Street Journal, Triangle Business Journal, The News & Observer, Women’s Edge Magazine and more.  Balancing Professionals has helped a variety of companies capitalize on workplace flexibility including clients in the pharmaceutical, technology, manufacturing, non-profit, and professional services industries.

Kella Hatcher has a law degree from the University of North Carolina and a B.A. from Purdue University. She has worked as legal counsel for a state government program and as an assistant district attorney.  She puts her research, process improvement, and advocacy skills to use educating others about sustainable approaches to work that benefit employees, employers, and the environment. Most of her legal career has been in part-time or job-share situations, so she has “lived” the issues related to part-time professional positions. Her own “flexible workplace” allows her to juggle kids and volunteer work.

Maryanne Perrin has an MBA from the University of North Carolina and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. She has led a variety of re-engineering, system implementation, and training projects during her career at IBM and KPMG Peat Marwick. Before starting Balancing Professionals, she served as the Director of Operations and Finance for a rapidly growing North Carolina technology company where she experienced first-hand the "win-win" of being an executive on a part-time schedule. Other “hats” that Maryanne wears in her attempts to balance work and life include mother-of-three, literacy mentor, and marathon runner.