In this episode, Ada Offonry challenges the idea that midlife career change means either staying stuck or starting from scratch.

She explores increasingly mainstream career paths such as sabbaticals, fractional roles and consulting, showing how experienced people can gain more flexibility, autonomy and income without blowing up their lives.

You'll learn all about:

• Career paths hiding in plain sight
• High income without full-time roles
• Pivoting without quitting outright

Ada breaks down who these options are really for, how to test them safely, and how to pivot strategically rather than impulsively.

Data Sources: Fractional/portfolio work (47% increase): MBO Partners State of Independence 2025 UK non-traditional income (1 in 4): IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals) 2025 Sabbatical outcomes (38% better roles): Harvard Business Review, "The Sabbatical Effect" 2024

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For more from Ada: https://adaoffonry.com/

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

Ada Offonry guides us through the Clarity Audit, her practical framework for deciding whether to stay in your current role or take the leap into something new. She helps you uncover what’s truly behind your career dissatisfaction and build a plan for your next chapter with purpose and poise.

You’ll discover:

• The 7 root causes of career unhappiness

• The 3 questions that reveal if your situation is fixable

• How to create a “stay” or “go” plan that puts you back in control

Whether you’re craving growth, alignment, or simply more joy in your work, this episode will help you take the next step, clearly and confidently.

Data sources: Job dissatisfaction (64%): Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2024 Thought about leaving (51% UK, 23% did): CIPD Employee Outlook 2025 Similar situation within 18 months (40%): LinkedIn Talent Solutions 2024

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

For more from Ada: https://adaoffonry.com/

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

Ada Offonry explores why highly capable, intelligent people still make career decisions they later regret. She breaks down the hidden psychological traps that keep us over optimising for salary, security or titles, staying too long in roles that no longer fit, or leaping into new ones for the wrong reasons.

Today, you'll learn about:

• Optimising for the wrong thing
• Fear disguised as “safety”
• A smarter way to choose what’s next

Data Sources: Job regret (72%): Joblist U.S. Job Seeker Survey 2024 Staying too long out of fear (58%): CIPD UK Employee Outlook 2025 High earners + comp-only decisions: Harvard Business Review, "The High Earner's Dilemma" 2024

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

For more from Ada: https://adaoffonry.com/

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

In this episode, Ada challenges the myth that reinvention requires quitting your job and starting again. Instead, she breaks down how you can strategically reshape your career within your current organisation, often with more stability, influence and financial upside.

From gaining clarity on what you really want, to navigating internal power structures and negotiating pay with confidence, this episode offers a practical, low-risk path to meaningful career change.

Highlights:

• Reinventing without quitting.
• Power mapping your organisation.
• Negotiating scope and pay confidently.

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

Ada Offonry reveals how hedge funds, AI labs and deep tech startups really hire. She breaks down the traits these fast moving companies value most, why traditional job hunting approaches no longer work, and how to position your experience so you stand out, even without a conventional pedigree.

Highlights:

• Depth over breadth
• Show, don’t tell
• Specificity signals seriousness

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

Ada Offonry reframes redundancy after 40 as an opportunity for strategic reinvention rather than defeat. Drawing on her experience supporting professionals through career transitions, she shares practical steps to regain control, clarity and confidence.

Learn how to:

• Negotiate your exit : maximise your redundancy package and leave on the best possible terms.

• Write your “never again” list : identify what you’ll no longer tolerate in your next role or workplace.

• Build your next chapter strategically: focus on career design, nurturing your network, and embracing new forms of work like consulting or fractional roles.

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

Ada Offonry explores how the world of work is evolving, and why we must evolve with it. From the rise of AI to shifting definitions of success, she shares how to stay secure, relevant, and fulfilled in an unpredictable market.

Highlights:

• AI makes mediocre work faster, but great thinkers unstoppable

• Success now means freedom, not just titles or tenure

• Job security comes from adaptability, not loyalty

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.

In this season opening episode of The Adapted Ambitions Podcast, Ada Offonry sets the stage for a new era of career reinvention.

Drawing on her 20+ years in top tier finance and tech, Ada shares how the world of work has transformed and why confidence and strategy now matter more than ever.

Listen for:

• Insider hiring secrets from hedge funds and AI firms

• Tactical frameworks for bold mid career moves

• Confidence over 40 as your ultimate advantage

To be reminded of all future episodes, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE.

Follow Ada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaoffonry/

Find out more about Ada's new venture: https://www.inferencesearch.ai

About your Host: Ada Offonry

Ada Offonry provides talent and career intelligence for quantitative finance and technology.

She spent four years as Global Head of Talent at Quadrature Capital, and over 20 years in executive search partnering with hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and elite investment banks across New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Ada now works with firms building high performance technology teams, and with senior quantitative and engineering professionals navigating complex career inflection points, through Inference Talent Advisory.

Her work sits at the intersection of market intelligence, talent strategy, and career decision making in an increasingly volatile world of work.