Their paths may have differed but these working mothers found ways to meet the right people within their organizations to help them find openings and move across the career lattice to gain more challenges, responsibility and ultimately better jobs within the corporations where they worked.

Crystal Christmas-Watson, 50
General Manager, Residence Inn by Marriott Arlington Pentagon City
Marriott International Inc.
Mom to Nia, 20 and Victoria, 8
Mitchellville, MD

“Once I achieved a position, I always looked around to see what I wanted next,” says Marriott employee Crystal Christmas-Watson, 50, who has worked in a dozen hotels and received as many promotions during her 28 year-career at the Bethesda, MD-based hospitality services company. “I am competitive and I use that to motivate me.”

Crystal’s most challenging jump was early in her career when, tired of managing hotel gift shops, she wanted to switch to a faster-paced, more lucrative sales job. Crystal asked her boss to introduce her to the regional sales manager the next time he was in town. The meeting was cordial but brief — there were no openings — but Crystal persisted. “Every time he came by, there I was asking, ‘Can I have five minutes of your time?’” she recalls with a laugh.

Eight months later, Crystal was accepted into the company’s sales training program. These days, she credits her 14 years in sales as crucial to preparing her for her current role running a busy Residence Inn in Arlington, VA. What does the future hold? A bigger hotel, she hopes. In fact, Crystal is already preparing for a bigger role one day by taking the Spanish lessons that would help her manage a large, bilingual hotel staff. “I am constantly thinking about how to reinvent myself and grow,” she says.

Angela Husted, 35
Technical support, research and development
The Procter & Gamble Co.
Mom to Nola, 2
Maineville, OH

Procter & Gamble may be a global consumer products giant, but it doesn’t box employees into their careers. Angie Husted knows this first-hand: She’s already switched roles three times since joining the Cincinnati-based company on an administrative and technology track in 2004. Her work has since ranged from managing a sustainability partnership with Habitat for Humanity to supporting technical workflow processes for scientists in Japan. Angela’s current role as a tech coordinator for a product-safety research database means that whatever the next Swiffer or Olay product is in the P&G pipeline, Angie will be among those who make sure it’s safe for your family.

To help prepare for future career growth, Angela is using P&G’s tuition reimbursement to earn a degree in business management. “The company cares about each employee,” she says. “They don’t just stick us into silos. We have lots of opportunity to grow and broaden our horizons.”

Theresa Ahlstrom, 49
Managing partner, Long Island, NY
KPMG LLP
Mom to Timothy, 10 and Gregory, 9
Huntington, NY

Many women in high-profile, challenging jobs worry that their performance (or home life) will suffer when they become mothers. But Theresa Ahlstrom says that after adopting sons Timothy and Gregory (in 2001 and 2002, respectively), her work got better. After 19 years in overdrive, being a mother forced her to “get pickier,” Theresa says. “I realized I couldn’t spend every waking hour devoted to my career,” she recalls. “It forced me to me to find the right prioritization in my life and my career.”

Though she went on a reduced-hour schedule in a customized role, Theresa has thrived and received two big promotions: In 2006, she was named managing partner of the professional services firm’s Long Island, NY, office; and in 2008, she became national risk managing partner for KPMG’s advisory business.

What advice would Theresa give to other moms? Be organized, speak up for what you need, and be patient. “I always tell new mothers you can’t give up after six months,” she says. “It takes time get all the pieces to fit together, but it will happen.”

Liz Nordlie, 45
Vice president of refrigerated baked goods, Pillsbury division
Mom to Christopher, 11 and Ella, 8
General Mills
Orono, MN

Wouldn’t it be fabulous to make job changes based on what would most energize and inspire you? That’s the philosophy behind the General Mills’ individual development plan (IDP), a career-growth forum employee use to articulate their dreams annually. After 11 years working in the food manufacturing company’s U.S. operations, Liz Nordlie wrote a new request on her IDP: an international position.

“My husband and I both spent a year of college studying outside the U.S. and experienced great personal growth,” she recalls. “We discussed it and thought, ‘Wouldn’t be great to do it as a family?’” Shortly after putting it on her IDP, Liz met with the company’s international human resources team to express her interest and fill out a dossier on her qualifications.

A year later, Liz was named vice president, marketing director for Europe. During the three years she and her family lived in Switzerland, they visited 20 countries and her son Christopher became fluent in French (daughter Ella is close to fluent now, too.) “It changed forever the way the kids see the world — in a really good way,” says Liz, who’s career has benefited from the posting. This year, she returned to the states this year to take responsibility for a bigger division, Pillsbury.

Carolyn Skaski
Managing Partner, New Jersey Office
Ernst & Young LLP
Mom to Kenny, 19, Bobby, 17 and Billy, 11
Westfield, NJ

Cultivate plenty of mentors — that’s been one of the keys to Carolyn Slaski’s success. In her 26-year career, the mom of three boys has relied on advice from peers and superiors at critical junctures.

Take her four female colleagues, who started at the professional services firm together and all have kids roughly the same age. Carolyn consults these women when she has questions about the college admissions process or whether to pursue certain career tracks. Another mentor, meanwhile, happens to sit on Ernst & Young’s board of directors and has helped her think through client and management issues.

But for Carolyn, one mentor stands out: John Reck, who ran Ernst & Young’s New Jersey office when Carolyn was starting out. John had a habit of checking in to see how Carolyn was balancing home life and workload — and really listened to her answers.

One day, expecting her second child and buried in the paperwork for a challenging, high profile account, Carolyn confessed things were out of balance. “He had the authority and he immediately took care of it,” she recalls. John delegated a slew of minor tasks, which allowed Carolyn to turn in a star-making performance on the important project. Even though he’s retired, John still serves as a trusted advisor and sounding board.

“You take different things from different people,” says Carolyn of her many mentors. “You can meld them together” for a sum greater than the parts.