Our people stories

Meet Vincenzo, Senior Consultant, Consulting Core Business Operations, Canberra

Tell us a bit about your journey to Canberra.

I was raised in the Mediterranean, lived in Queensland, worked in the Caribbean, and recently moved to Canberra in April 2022. I immediately searched for “gold nuggets” in the area. I found a great Pizzeria, an awesome stable, and even a sailing club. I was pleasantly surprised that Canberra has a lot more to offer than I thought, especially in the outdoors.

What is the Mental & Physical Wellbeing Social Club?

It’s a very flexible, weekly opportunity to socialise outside of the office. We enjoy fresh air, sunlight, great vibes and plenty of laughs every Wednesday from 1600 to 1730, while playing mixed volleyball, soccer or simply laying on the grass. We connect, we chat, we love it!

It’s a great time to keep your body healthy, get some fresh air, and even act as a break to come back to the office fresh and revitalized to keep on with work. It’s non-competitive and fun.

The most important aspect is that people who might not know their colleagues in the office have the opportunity to meet and chat with senior staff or people that have been there for a while in a much lighter environment than being in the office. It creates a culture of mateship.

How did it come about?

The idea to start the club came to me in my second week at Deloitte, when I didn’t know many people around the office. I went to a sports event for charity and when I came back to work the week after, I knew 50% of the people in the office. I thought hey, we could run a casual sports event every week for new people to get to know the office, but also those who have been here a while to get to know each other. When I spoke to my coach and firm partner they were very much on board and it really reflects the firms’ goal of bringing people together, including the fostering of activities that provide great benefits to mental and physical wellness.

Sharon's time with Deloitte started in the Brisbane office when she joined as a vacationer in Risk Advisory. After exploring her career options and talking with Canberra colleagues, she moved to Canberra with her partner.

Joining Deloitte and the work

I had heard of "the big four" but only had a rough idea of the service lines that Deloitte offered. I mainly knew of accounting and audit. The vacationer program and moving to Canberra opened my eyes to the options and what the various service lines could offer. Since joining the Canberra team in Transformation & Operations 3 years ago, I've worked on digital transformation projects. My current passion is transforming supply chains and advising on the collaboration between government and industry supply chains.

The Canberra team

The Canberra team has really come together. We're interlinked across the office; there's a real sense of team. The onboarding of new team members and the integration of new starters help them settle in and feel relaxed to bring their best selves to work.

I'm part of the Canberra social committee; it's fun and so much more. It really brings together the team in a relaxed environment for a broad range of events – monthly social events, escape rooms, bowling, birthday and milestone celebrations. We also have monthly face to face training.

Inspiring women

I've been fortunate to be part of the Deloitte Inspiring women program. It has covered more than I expected, elements of your career, personal development, mindfulness, building your brand, and ways to manage your work-life balance, and it connects you with others across Australia.

Considering joining Deloitte

I fully recommend, give it a go; it will be a good experience, great networks, there isn't a downside. Some people have a misperception that all government work is the same. There are so many departments. Each has different challenges and offer a breadth of work to build your experience and cater to your interests.

Paul Curwell, Director in Deloitte's Financial Advisory Forensic practice.

Hi Paul, tell us about yourself and your role at Deloitte and the work you do? 

I’m a Director in Deloitte’s Forensic practice. I help clients develop capabilities and undergo digital transformation in the intelligence and investigative analytics domain, in areas like insider threats, personnel security, financial intelligence, open-source intelligence and associated fields.

I also do work with our commercial clients in the financial sector, particularly in relation to conducting complex money laundering / terrorist financing investigations and complex due diligence investigations. 

Outside of work, Deloitte has supported me to co-author a book (Terrorist Diversion, Routledge) published in 2021 and lecturing at university. 

Why did you want to join our Deloitte team in Canberra? 

I’ve worked in both professional services and in-house roles in industry throughout my career. I'd spent a number of years in an executive role in banking and in late 2016, I was ready for a change.

Moving back into consulting meant I had a chance to work across multiple industry sectors and effectively be my own boss as I built out my practice. As I looked around the market, I found Deloitte was very different to our competitors: the culture is very entrepreneurial, anyone from graduate up is encouraged to build their own business, and it's very tech-focused, we're not just a big 4 audit firm. 

“I enjoy variety, working with clients on interesting problems, and working with a committed and engaged team who is passionate about what they do.” 

I worked in Deloitte’s Sydney office for about 4 years before moving into the Canberra team in late 2020. For me, relocating to Canberra was about increasing my professional opportunities, and being able to transfer the skills I have learnt over the past decade in financial services into government as agencies look to refresh their technologies and operational practices. 

What excites you most about working here at Deloitte? 

Our continued growth trajectory is intertwined with our culture.  We're the first big 4 firm to have a technologist as our CEO. Our mindset is entrepreneurial, people-led and technology-enabled. And, we're increasingly developing cross-business service offerings that solve a client's problem end to end., rather than in pieces. Smaller firms just don't have this capability.  

What inspires you about the career opportunities here? 

Consulting can be tough, with the workload often going through peaks and troughs. However, what makes it rewarding is the ability to work on projects that interest me and things that matter for clients. I'm free to largely pick the sort of work and clients I want to pursue in areas that interest me and to learn and develop as my field evolves. In previous in-house roles, I've felt constrained around what I could do and how I could develop as the direction was set by my employer, rather than the market and what customers want like what you get here in professional services.

"If you're someone who is proactive, enjoys a challenge, and wants to apply what they have learned whilst developing and growing, Deloitte is a great place to be."  

My field is evolving very fast – the global threat landscape is changing, new regulation is coming, and technology and advances in data science mean we can do things only dreamt of before. Additionally, related areas like cybersecurity are converging quickly. This presents a whole raft of challenges which Deloitte is well-positioned to address, and which also provide great opportunities for me to learn, develop and work with a bunch of interesting people.

Emilie Richter, Senior Manager in Risk Advisory, Canberra.

Hi Emilie. You’d moved both industry and interstate before joining us. Tell us about that experience.

I moved from Melbourne in 2019, joining Deloitte in Canberra – it was quite a leap, not just moving cities but also making a career change from working in Financial Services.

I was motivated and enthused to challenge myself in a different role, and I have zero regrets. I have led teams in ways I never would have thought myself capable of and work with some really fantastic clients. I honestly find it a privilege to work with Deloitte.

Also, as an outdoor enthusiast, Canberra has quite a lot to offer!

There are many preconceptions about work in the big 4 and at Deloitte – what have you found?

Having spent some time working in industry, it wasn’t uncommon for consultants to have a bad reputation. You know, only being in it for the money or lacking an understanding of the business etc.

Joining Deloitte, I’ve been completely blown away – it’s been a complete contradiction! The values and culture were clear when I started: our clients, and the problems or opportunities they face, are our primary focus. I come to work every day to solve complex problems, and I get to build strong teams around me that want to do the same.

Tell us about some of the work you’re involved in.

I am currently working on a project that literally encapsulates making an impact that matters. Go and google it: the Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool.

I pinch myself regularly that I get to be part of an extremely talented, multi-disciplinary Deloitte team working with the Federal Government in such a critical space. I mean, where else would you get to work on building something that can have a real-world impact, and what better outcome than trying to support Australian farmers in the face of our global fight against climate change?

How have you seen your career development supported here at Deloitte?

People are such a critical part of Deloitte and how its values come to life. There is a whole range of opportunities to learn and hone your skills!

In my relatively short time here, I’ve participated in a number of development programs. Outside of the milestone programs (associated with promotions into leadership roles), I was recently nominated to join the ‘Ignite’ leadership program. This program has been reflective, and it’s been uplifting – in a time when we’re all struggling with so much uncertainty, it has reminded me of what’s important and how I can be a better leader for those around me.

What’s some advice you could share with someone contemplating a career with us?

If you like variety, enjoy solving problems and want to work with creative and supportive teams, then working for Deloitte is definitely for you.

From a Canberra office perspective, working with Federal Government, you are guaranteed to support projects that hit the core of government operations – you get insights into some of the government priorities and work in partnership with our public service to help drive improved outcomes.

In Risk Advisory, we strive to help our clients navigate digital transformation and provide strategic advice on risk, policy, and regulation. There is never a dull moment, and facilitating positive discussions about risk means our clients can focus on their performance and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Not to mention that being a part of a global organisation means international reach – whether that’s for leveraging expertise, sharing knowledge or even work opportunities (global pandemics aside!)

Growing up in country NSW and moving to Canberra to study, Lizzie didn't envision her studies at ANU, adventurous spirit, and her career with Deloitte would take her to France for work.

From Graduate to Senior Manager

From joining as a graduate to being a senior manager, I have gained so much experience at Deloitte. What makes Deloitte, for me in the Canberra office, is the team culture. People celebrate the wins with you and are equally there on the bad days. We are encouraged to experiment and share new ideas, and ultimately you are in charge of your career and the direction it takes.

The work 

My most impactful project at Deloitte has been working in partnership with Defence to deliver Plan Galileo. Plan Galileo is the program of work to implement the Future Maritime Sustainment Model that will ensure Australia has a nationally integrated, modern, innovative and highly skilled sustainment organisation to support the Royal Australian Navy now and into the future. This is truly a once in a generation change on the back of the largest capital investment in Australian history to establish a sovereign shipbuilding industry, and it’s been an absolute privilege to be a part of it.

Working in the Deloitte Canberra office gives me the chance to work on some of the most complex, wicked problems facing our country. When the Prime Minister lists his top priorities for the nation, we usually are working on several of these, helping to redefine Australia's operating model for the future. Recent examples include the bushfire response, elements of COVID support, Australian industry and figuring out the jobs of the future. These are exciting pieces of work where you can see the tangible impact all around you.

Work and life

As a coach and people leader, I'm there to support our people to bring their whole self to work each day, leading by example and finding opportunities for the team to grow and challenge themselves.

My personal interests outside of work make Canberra pretty ideal. You're never far away from a great running trail, and the proximity to beaches and snowfields means I can leave work on a Friday for weekends full of skiing, diving and surfing. A little further abroad from Canberra, I've made it to Everest Base Camp in 2019, which was my absolute favourite holiday to date. Next up is Kilimanjaro!

Looking to the future

We have a really exciting pipeline of work ahead at Deloitte. I'm keen to continuously push the boundaries on what we can achieve by growing and working with smart, driven people (colleagues and clients) who are contributing to a better Australia.

Andrew Colvin, Partner in Financial Advisory, Canberra. 

Coming to Deloitte with a wealth of skills and expertise from many high-profile and demanding roles in public service, Andrew joins us as a Financial Advisory partner in our Forensic practice. 

Welcome Andrew, tell us a bit about yourself and your career journey. 

Originally from Queensland, I’d spent 12 years in Sydney before making Canberra home to my family 20 years ago. So, I’m not a local, but Canberra is home now, and as a family, we love it here.  

After 33 years in Federal Government across the military (briefly), policing, and disaster recovery, I wanted to take a step out of government and learn new skills while still contributing and adding value to the community.  

I was previously the head of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency – coordinating recovery after the 2019-2020 Black Summer. Prior to that, I was Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police for 5 years out of a 30-year police career.  

Joining Deloitte 

I’ve joined Deloitte with a very broad remit to add value and share my experience nationally and internationally to help the firm, and our clients.   

I am excited to be a part of the Deloitte team, and particularly the Financial Advisory business unit. But my background lends itself well to contribute across all of our work, and my government experience helps shape a lot of the work I am doing at the moment.  

I joined Deloitte because I believed in the people, the values, and the aspirations of the firm. I saw that it aligned with my own personal values, and it could provide me with the opportunity to continue to help people, to problem solve, and continue to feel a sense of purpose about my work. 

On the horizon 

While I am probably more at the back end of my professional career, not the front end 😊, I still have a lot to contribute. But even from where I sit, I can see how Deloitte provides an opportunity to choose your own pathway and have the opportunity to learn new skills, change roles, and explore different parts of the firm along the way. It’s a global firm with a global brand and a global remit – therefore, that provides global opportunities.  

Among the many things that interest me in Deloitte, I am keen to help the firm build its business and reputation across the Asia Pacific region, especially the Pacific, and to use my experience to help the corporate and financial sectors transform to meet current challenges and expectations. So, there is plenty for me to get stuck into! 

Ryan Parsons, Cyber and Strategy Risk Manager, Risk Advisory.

Paul, what does a typical day look like for you?

As a manager in the Cyber team, my role on paper is to manage the delivery of cyber risk services to our clients. But it is so much more than that. When I come into work, the idea about what the day might look like very rarely matches the reality.

It’s that sort of variety and the adaptability I’ve learned and that I apply to it that keeps me interested. My day might include mentoring others, writing reports, facilitating workshops, engaging with international thought leaders, helping my team in Canberra and across Australia, leading some training, talking with client stakeholders, or something entirely different. 

Tell us about your start at Deloitte and how you came to join the Canberra team.

I started my Deloitte career in the Brisbane office and continued as a Manager there for about 15 months. While I found the experience rewarding, I spoke with my coach about my desire to work on Defence-related engagements. My coach was hugely supportive, as was the Partner leadership, and within a month, the plans were in place for me to move to Canberra. Since then, I’ve been working on a large engagement with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and have been loving playing a role in work I find meaningful.

Coaching is an essential aspect of supporting our people’s development – can you share on your coaching experience?

One of the most valuable parts of Deloitte is the Coaching relationship, which I’ve found to be equal parts mentor, supervisor, advocate, and supporter. As a coachee, my coaches have shared their time to help me learn and grow into the person I am today, and they have supported me through all the challenges and the triumphs.

As a coach, one of the most rewarding parts of my role is seeing my coachee achieve the things they set out to and advance and grow into their roles and beyond.

What would you say to someone contemplating joining Deloitte – why should they be excited?

I get to work with some really clever people in my role. Deloitte has found a positive balance between both technical and non-technical people, all sharing the same goal of solving client challenges.

I’ve learned an incredible amount in two years about my field and about a range of other areas like analytics, forensics, learning and training design and delivery, service design, procurement uplift, and building great customer experiences. More than that, I’ve had the chance to work with some of Australia’s largest industry leaders, understand how their internal machinery works, and find ways to make that machinery run even more smoothly. Knowing that the problems I solve make real change and help real people is extremely rewarding.

The relationships I’ve built here have helped me understand that I’m capable of big things, and Deloitte continues to provide me opportunities as long as I keep an eye out for them.

Bilal’s career with Deloitte so far has taken him to 3 different countries (Pakistan, Middle East, Australia), and he’s worked in 3 different service lines (Audit, Consulting and Finance Assurance). Bilal tells us his story of working in a truly global firm. 

My Name is Bilal Ansari, and I am a Senior Manager in Deloitte Canberra. I am originally from Pakistan and moved to Canberra with my family in 2007. I worked with a small accounting firm before joining the team here at Deloitte. 11 of my 14 years of professional experience have been with Deloitte in 3 different countries and 3 different service lines.

What attracted me to Deloitte was:

• Its reputation among the other accounting firms in the world
• Range of services, client work and depth of resources
• Support of like-minded professionals

I’ve stayed with Deloitte for 11 years because of the variety of experience I’ve gained, the people, the culture and the complete support I’ve received from the Firm. Since day dot, the level of support is amazing, you will be assigned with a buddy and coach to support and guide you throughout your settling in period and ongoing.

Becoming a Coach

As I’ve progressed in my career, becoming a Senior Manager, I’ve transitioned into a coaching role to provide others with the support that I’ve benefited from. Coaching my team on their technical skills is a given. I challenge colleagues to build their personal brand reputation, asking “what do they want to be known for?” to be famous for something and use the Deloitte resources and support to get there.

The experience I gained working in audit has provided another perspective on the consulting advisory work I now do. I’m currently managing an engagement at a large Federal Government client leading teams on overall budgeting, forecasting, end of month closing and Capital budgeting. 

My life in Canberra

The relationships and trust we have with clients support the flexibility Deloitte enables. Managing my time allows me to maintain a healthy lifestyle of playing tennis twice a week, gym sessions, and family time. The team functions in the same way of managing their time to meet client deadlines and having the flexibility to structure their time to achieve both professional and personal goals.

Interested in joining Deloitte?

When people ask me what’s it like, I tell them don’t wait, just join! You will be working in a respectful and supportive environment with ambitious colleagues’ keen to grow and push each other forward. The team would love to hear your ideas and support and guide you through any challenging situation, and we celebrate our wins and support each other through challenges. I can’t wait for you to join us!

At Deloitte, we're big believers in creating a better work environment for all by embracing neurodiversity.

Marcus Harrington from our Digital and Technology Risk business unit in Canberra talks about his favourite part of being neurodiverse, and what helps him do his best work.

What's your name, and what team are you in?

I'm Marcus, and I'm an Analyst in Digital and Technology Risk in Canberra.

Why did you decide to get involved in Deloitte's neurodiversity community?

I was only diagnosed with ADHD in July 2021 at the ripe old age of 20. I was already working at Deloitte and had so much support from my coach and other team members, which made managing the initial feelings and things to deal with so much easier. I thought it was really important to help grow our community in Deloitte as a way of giving back.

What's your favourite part about being neurodiverse?

I love that ADHD can help me vacuum up knowledge and read and understand lots of things about new topics super quickly - a useful skill in consulting!

I also love that so many different and diverse topics interest me.

What helps you do your best at work?

Aside from remembering to take my dexie, plugging in some noise cancelling headphones and blasting some hard rock and metal helps me get stuff done (Guns n Roses, Metallica, Rammstein etc!)

What are some of your favourite things to do outside of work?

I'm an avid traveller, so I generally will have a trip up my sleeve that I'm looking forward to (I'm off to Vietnam with my folks over our Xmas Shutdown, and my partner and I are heading to Morocco and Barcelona in March - and the pic I've attached to this post is me enjoying some time off in Singapore back in January!).

You'll also often find me with a book in my hand - my current read is Range: Why generalists triumph in a specialised world by David Epstein (which I thoroughly recommend for ADHDers!), and my favourite read this year was Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime by David Barno and Nora Bensahel.

Originally from Italy, Lucrezia moved to Canberra and joined Deloitte to work with other professionals with the same interests and experience. But there's more to this story, even a touch of love. Not only did she join Deloitte and transition into a new career in accounting, but she also met her now-partner in Canberra back in 2012.

Moving to Canberra

My name is Lucrezia. I am a pharmacist and an accountant. I moved to Australia in 2012, soon after becoming a registered pharmacist, mainly to learn English and travel the country. After studying accounting at CIT and the University of Canberra, I transitioned to accounting, worked in industry for a few years, and then moved to Canberra's Audit and Assurance team. I am currently a manager working in Government assurance as a Finance Business Partner as part of a team supporting a large federal government client. My role involves budget management, end of month close and capital management activities.

Why Deloitte

I wanted to join the most reputable and well-known professional services firm globally and was attracted by the opportunity to be exposed to challenging and meaningful work. Coming from industry, I was excited to work with like-minded professionals, learn from them, foster relationships, and have ongoing support and coaching to guide me in my career progression. Working with other accountants in a large firm allows me to grow professionally and discuss professional interests with my team, which I didn't have in previous accounting roles.

The work

I am particularly proud of my contribution in my first engagement at Deloitte. I was placed into a different business unit, completely outside my comfort zone. At the start it was intimidating, and I had to learn a lot in a very short amount of time. I quickly gained the client's trust and became a valued team member. I had responsibility for the division's financial management, and I worked hard to improve the quality and reliability of the financial data and reporting. I built strong relationships with the client, and they were so happy with my performance that they nominated me as a key resource in the contract review. The team provides great support to learn new skills and encourages you to provide a different perspective.

What surprised me

I was surprised by the level of support provided to everyone who joins the firm, no matter the title or the role. I have found everybody I dealt with very friendly, supportive and willing to share their experience and knowledge to help me grow. No matter the level, you can go to someone to support you, it's a great team environment.

Work and life

The flexibility to manage my time around client commitments means I have time to complete my CA studies and spend time with my partner doing the things we love in the Canberra region. We love to take day trips, going hiking, catch up with friends and family, eat out at all our favourite restaurants and go for walks around the lake to balance out all the dining out. Italian and Sons, Messina and Locale are some of our favourites. Also, as the commute to work usually only takes 15 minutes, it opens up extra time in your day.

My advice

Don't be afraid to take chances. Be bold, confident, curious, and work hard. Try to learn as much as you can, and don't doubt your capabilities. During the recruitment process, I would think about my main priorities and what I really want to achieve and make sure the job I am applying for aligns with my career pathway.

Don't doubt your capabilities and dedication. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you'll learn from them and the team will support you. I've become more confident in myself at Deloitte, and I look forward to the future. 

From his passion for coding, Alex has adapted his skills and expertise into a career with us in data analytics. Moving into professional services has opened the door to more opportunities, new programming tools, and a diverse set of new challenges.

Your role

My name is Alex Hatch, and I am a Senior Analyst within Canberra's Risk Advisory Practice. I work closely with data under the Regulatory and Compliance Operational Unit and assist projects requiring analytics or process optimisation.

The work that gets me most excited is around process improvement. Working with both private and public sectors clients, there's been ample opportunity to find new ways and develop the core building blocks to a solution that can scale for big impact, which is really exciting.

Your path to us

I'd come from working as a contractor and really enjoyed the exposure that having diverse clients and projects brought. In thinking about my next career move, I wanted something that would help me grow into a better solutions provider.

I had previously worked with a high-performer in the banking sector who referred me to Deloitte. When she talked about the people here, describing the team as driven, I knew it was the place I wanted to be.

People & culture

Before joining the team, my impression of professional services and Deloitte was as an ultra-competitive place. Having been a part of the team here, I can say that it's a culture designed to nourish and help individuals grow within, not create pressure to succeed.

I've enjoyed the opportunity and freedom to organise and run social events. Coming into a team with a lot of technical people, it has been great to bring people together through social events for more fun and interactivity in the office.

Deloitte has a lot of really smart people, and since working here, I've learnt so much from everyone. It is an inspiring place to work because of the calibre of the people. If you find yourself breaking boundaries and excelling past the people around you then Deloitte is the place for you!

Rhys joined Deloitte eight years ago in sunny Brisbane as a fresh-faced graduate ready to make his mark in Tax & Legal, but after three and half years in Brisbane, a project in Canberra has brought him back to his hometown where he’s found his groove.

My current role with Deloitte is as a Director in our Tax & Legal practice, where I work alongside my Partners to support some of Canberra’s largest Government and Private clients. I grew up in Canberra but first joined Deloitte as a graduate in Brisbane. I returned to Canberra to work on a project that was originally short term, but four and a half years later, I am still here and loving it! It has been a great opportunity for me to grow an amazing team around me and serve some incredible clients.

When I first joined Deloitte in Brisbane many years ago, there was no real Tax & Legal offering at the time in Canberra – I am very proud that we have now built such a strong team that offer the kinds of roles that were not here many years ago.

Deloitte Canberra work

When I first joined Deloitte, I wanted to work in a large firm with complex tax work. My role in Canberra allows me to do that and so much more. We have the opportunity to work on some of the most complex tax problems with interesting clients, including as an integrated business partner. Focusing on Government and Public Services is a fascinating sector; the work is not only interesting with complex tax and legal problems but there are real positive impacts to society that our clients help solve. We work as a nationally integrated team, which allows us to support some of the biggest clients in Australia and globally with practitioners from around the world.

What surprised me about Deloitte

I am constantly surprised about the breadth of expertise our firm has to offer. Every week I meet someone new, all with such different backgrounds and different expertise to myself. These are the people I’ve learned from the most during my time at Deloitte, as they’ve challenged my perspectives.

When you start your career, you assume there is a certain path that you will follow, but you can shape your own path in part and discover not only what you do best but what you enjoy the most. My path has been shaped around providing tax advisory to Government and the Canberra market.

What I enjoy the most

The times I enjoy the most are working on complex projects as a team where you manage to achieve an outcome collectively that no individual could on their own. There is no other feeling like it when a team works well together, and everyone plays to their diverse strengths. This can often be in high-pressure situations or under a tight deadline, making it all the more fun and the importance of teamwork all the more critical. I have been consistently pushed outside my comfort zone through my career, which I love. Each year I look back and see how much I’ve grown as a practitioner and do my best to also deliver this experience as a coach back to the team.

The Canberra culture

Canberra is a relatively small place which means once you know a few people, you will quickly find many connections between them and grow a strong network fast. The Canberra office has a very open culture. You will find people are quite friendly and happy to chat, and the tearoom is often buzzing. It is nice to be a part of one Canberra team across the many business units. There is a diverse range of people that are so connected to each other and are networking across teams bringing out the best of Deloitte.

The lifestyle

Although I grew up in Canberra, I will never get used to the cold winters. The positive side is I love to ski, and there are plenty of great whisky bars to keep you warm.

Who would have thought returning to Canberra for a project would lead to the opportunities I’ve had in my career but also I found my wife to be – I am now engaged to someone I met through Deloitte when I first returned!

Working in the Canberra Audit team for the past 3.5 years since joining as a grad hasn’t limited Dana’s exposure to client work. From Canberra, she works with clients in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and even America at times. Dana is also progressing the profession as part of the young global Deloitte audit forum, which contributes to improvements in audit practices at Deloitte, integration across the Asia Pacific and enacting change in process improvements.

Joining as a grad and the work

I’d heard of Deloitte and other firms whilst studying at the University of Canberra and the long hours and tough culture. Still, it wasn’t until I spoke to friends working at Deloitte that I got an indication of the type of work and actual culture. For me, Deloitte offers the ability to work in forensics, audit, assurance and other types of consulting. When I think back to joining as a graduate, I’ve really grown more confident at Deloitte, and it’s brought my personality out at work.

The opportunities

There are so many opportunities. You can change areas of specialisation, or move interstate or countries even. Partners support you in achieving your goals, and the range of work and what you learn feels like double the learning I would get in the industry.

Social life and sport

We have an active social club in the office that takes us on different adventures and matches a wide range of interests and activities. I’m also active in my sporting life playing in a local soccer team which I train with twice a week, and we compete in the local league, which I love.

Considering joining Deloitte?

I tell people they have nothing to lose, the experience is so valuable, and the people you work with will open your eyes up to areas of interest you didn’t know existed.

Liam’s double degree in arts gave him a different way of thinking about solutions, leading to working across many industries with the Deloitte consulting team since joining as a graduate.

The work

After finishing uni in Canberra, I thought I’d end up going into government until I started to look into consulting. The work has been across education, trade, COVID relief initiatives, bushfire relief and trade. There’s been a lot of work where I’ve felt I’m helping Australian’s who have been most impacted in recent times.

The team

The Canberra team is so varied; people come from different backgrounds and have different experiences they bring to projects. It’s easy to catch up with everyone with regular time in the office and time at the client’s office. We’re a fast-growing team, progression is a path to different experiences and responsibilities, and there’s an active social element to our work which I enjoy.

Training

My experience so far is that I’ve had training sessions every couple of weeks since throughout the grad program. When I transitioned to consulting, I received further training and even led some myself. This is naturally linked to some of my work with clients, delivering training and workshops for clients.

Thinking of joining Deloitte?

Deloitte provides options; you meet people working across projects and different business units, it gives you exposure to other specialities. Others I know who work in other industries don’t get that. It’s unparalleled in experience building.

Ann is a Senior Manager in Deloitte Canberra’s Technology Strategy and Transformation practice focusing on government and public service clients.

Your role

I’ve been with Deloitte for some time now, joining Technology Strategy and Transformation in 2012 (with the team being known under a few different names in this time!)

I started with Deloitte in Sydney and moved to Canberra about 5 years ago. Since being here in Canberra, I’ve been fortunate to work on several large scale transformation programs with our Federal government clients.

I get to work on some of the most complex programs that relate to translating public policy into a program for implementation. We help our clients shape and design that, with our team working in a truly blended way our clients.

Life in Canberra

I moved to Canberra to focus on my studies and complete my thesis at ANU. Coming to Canberra has been a very different change, most notably for the pace of work and life here.

Coming from a busy work environment, I particularly enjoy my quiet time here with family and friends and having the ability to focus and concentrate to put a lot of effort into my thesis.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading and photography. And, for when we’re allowed to again, I love travelling (and photographing my travels). For now, I am keeping myself busy exploring the places around me, and now with springtime here in Canberra, the cherry blossoms are amazing.

Growth

I’ve grown a lot here. Working in Consulting, a lot of it is about building relationships and understanding and being able to sense what’s going on to drive things forward both with your team and with your client. Thinking back to when I started here, I was nowhere as confident as that back then.

One of the great things that I really appreciate about this firm is the opportunities I’ve had to grow and learn and the people who have been there and are coaching me. They’ve seen the growth in me; becoming more confident, constantly looking for challenges and doing different things that I’ve never done before, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

Inspiring moments

I was fortunate enough to be part of the Inspiring Women program in 2018, which connects you to a network of talented women across the firm. Being able to get to know others and forming relationships across the breadth and width of the firm, and having the opportunity to learn on common issues and challenges we can navigate together. In the program, we also shape our own individual projects that matter to ourselves and connect to the firm.

Seeing myself from being very shy, feeling almost invisible, to standing in front of the firm talking about the program, advocating for individuals from different cultural backgrounds, and sharing my experience has definitely been one of my biggest highlights. I’m really grateful to be able to have those opportunities.

Making an impact

There’s a purpose to the work you do here. You can see yourself as part of that impact and know that your work actually makes a difference. For example, it’s been rewarding to work on programs that help vulnerable citizens in our society. I was moved to work on a national action plan on domestic violence to deliver a real impact. 

Seeing how my work, and that of the teams, contribute to making a difference in communities and people across the nation is really rewarding. Seeing work through to implementation and measuring the outcomes on something that makes a difference is one of the best things you can do.

Dan Karmolinski, Data Analytics Manager in Risk Advisory, Canberra.

Dan is Manager of Data Analytics within our Risk Advisory business. In his role, Dan and his team work closely with clients to provide reporting and governance solutions around their reporting requirements.

Welcome Dan, tell us a bit about yourself and what inspires you.

I am originally from America, but I consider Australia home, having moved here in my early teens and living in Canberra during this time.

I am very passionate about technology, and most of my career has revolved around tech. Before joining Deloitte, I had been a public servant for 10 years. I’m a passionate worker, and to feel fulfilled in my career and pushed to reach my full potential is important to me.

How did you first hear about working at Deloitte?

I was at a friend’s barbeque, where I was introduced to someone who also worked in data analytics. The way they spoke about data was the same way I felt, and they recommended I meet their boss. I’d usually said no, but I thought I would give it a go this time.

After researching and asking around for opinions, with the amount of positive feedback I had heard about Deloitte, I decided to make the jump, and I haven’t regretted it once. 

You’d heard some interesting stories about working here, what’s been your experience?

Before I had made the move, the public servants I worked with all warned me that Deloitte (all of the private sector) was a very big shark tank and if you didn’t hit the ground running, being a natural at consulting, that they would fire you and not think twice.

I had also been warned that Deloitte works their staff hard for results. I have found things to be the opposite of all the warnings I received, and that Deloitte is very supportive and thrives in helping you to succeed, and in my opinion, the way management takes care of their people inspires hard work.

Well-being is prioritised, and management often rewards staff for their work. There are also extra benefits such as training, rewards to spend on living in a COVID world, and team events and activities to ensure we can do our job and feel valued. It’s a great culture to be a part of.