Shan Nemeth on growth, sustainability in the manufacturing field, and speaking up

Shan Nemeth is an Audit & Assurance partner in Deloitte & Touche LLP based in the Midland office, currently serving in the Chemical manufacturing sector. She has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing, and she attributes her continued passion to the everchanging industry challenges.

A journey of growth

Shan graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree followed by a master’s degree in accounting. While her career path wasn’t straightforward, two threads remained the same–her alignment to accounting and the manufacturing industry. While Shan attributes her connection with manufacturing to luck, she admits that her roles for her clients is what keeps her passionate. “I like to be able to see the output,” Nemeth said.

Shan’s career at Deloitte began as a partner in the national office in Connecticut, which she notes as a highlight in her career. She says, this position gave her the opportunity to interact with numerous people and gave her a feel of Deloitte’s workforce and clients,”.

During her time at the national office she met a myriad of mentors, who helped support her. She states that she learnt different skills from different professionals. And as Shan grew and transitioned to different roles, she advised on the importance of having a variety of mentors as well as peers within one’s network.

No matter how high up you get in your career, you always need support.

Shan shared that the professionals at Deloitte and the clients Deloitte serves keep her at the organization and continuously passionate and excited to go to work. “I’m always learning, and I have the opportunity to teach others,” she adds.

Sustainable practices

Shan keeps a pulse on the manufacturing industry from news sources as well as Deloitte publications. She underscored the importance of staying current and admits to receiving daily news alerts both general business and those specific to her industry.

“I try to make sure I know everything going on in my industry and around my clients,” Shan stated.

Shan notes how far technology has advanced during her time at the organization from when she started her career. She believes we are in a heightened time of change and expects to see even more practices evolve and grow.

Beyond technology changes, she believes sustainability, especially in manufacturing, is another wave of change. She and her clients are continuously thinking through how to manufacture while keeping the environment in mind.

“Sustainability brings a whole new dynamic to the manufacturing industry that everyone is trying to focus on and learn,” she notes. Shan adds that “Changes we made in the past to become faster, better, and stronger are not necessarily holistic, so now we’re thinking about how we evolve these practices to work for today’s world and tomorrow’s future.”

When picturing the word manufacturing, she shared most people think of the big smokestack factories. Shan and her clients know that does not represent manufacturing today and are working towards a future that can change that perception.

Speaking up

Shan is a wife and mom of two boys. She admits that balance can be challenging. Drawing on her experiences, she discussed how maintaining balance is an individual choice that every person needs to reflect on and realize what it means to them personally. She encourages her team to strike a balance in ways that work for them, and they do not need to fit into any mold or follow a standard process.

“I love to be a part of my boys’ athletics,” she stated. “My balance is making sure I am there to support them during games and drive them all around the state of Michigan. If my team needs me, I am a call away, but they understand what my balance looks like.”

As a woman in her field, she recalled that early in her career she wanted to prove herself and speak up. She believes one of the biggest stumbling blocks for women in manufacturing is the fear to raise their hands and make a spot for themselves.

“My piece of advice is to never shy away from an opportunity and when given one, make the most of it,” Shan states.

Continuing to challenge herself on a daily basis in her pursuits, Shan believes in her principles of learning and growing with all opportunities at Deloitte.