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Deloitte Global Employer Services

Making all the right career moves

"Do what you love" is the guiding principle of Lenka Mullerova's consulting career in Deloitte Global Employer Services (GES). It is her love of traveling, getting to know new countries, meeting new people, and providing tax services for professionals working internationally that brought Lenka to Deloitte in 2007 and has taken her to four countries over her ten-year career. Prague, Czech Republic is where her story begins.

Right after university she applied to all the Big 4, but already knew and liked Deloitte. She had worked part-time at the Prague office while at university, and when Deloitte Czech Republic made her an offer, she accepted, "I knew it was the right choice. I liked the people I'd met, and Deloitte is a global network. To me, that said I might travel." It took only a few months for her to know that working in tax for mobility and international assignments was where she wanted to be. "Working in GES is more than numbers," says Lenka, "it's personal; it's supporting people that travel around the world in their life and career choices."

That first job in Prague involved Lenka in tax compliance for international assignments and gave her the chance to step outside her comfort zone. "Innovating, improving processes, and learning something new are where I’m happiest," she notes. "I was lucky to have a partner who saw that and supported me." When the Paperless Project for preparing electronic tax returns and workpapers launched in the Czech Republic, Lenka was part of it. She created step-by-step guides and trained teams, in her member firm and other countries, on the process. When a short-term assignment in Belgium opened up, Lenka got an offer. "In every country, tax laws and processes are completely different. You have to learn a lot, fast. I love that kind of challenge. So I said yes."

After a few years back in Prague, Lenka was off to Melbourne, Australia. She'd fallen in love with Australia during her private travels and wanted to explore more, so she asked about an international secondment. One year later, Lenka moved to Melbourne, where she worked with expats on their income taxes. Again, she was heavily involved in innovation, simplifying and standardizing GES processes, rules, and allocations globally. "Being an expat, I know how complicated taxes can be when you relocate," says Lenka. "It makes me feel good to help other expats manage their taxes and assist them where they might need it."

An opportunity to set up a Global Immigration Service Center in the Czech Republic brought Lenka home from Melbourne. "I wasn't an immigration expert, but I had a tax background which was a big advantage. I saw how these two services are interconnected and should be provided to expats hand-in-hand," says Lenka. Immigration was a new challenge for her and she had to learn a lot. She focused on global immigration proposals and pricing, processes, communication structures, building a network, and making sure expats got the best support before they even moved to a foreign country. She also took time out to have her son and take some time for maternity leave.

That's when the Deloitte UK London office called, asking her to join their GES EMEA Clients & Markets team as a Business Development Manager with a focus on commercials and pricing. Lenka, her husband, and baby boy moved again, and she made a big move up in her career. "I am responsible for providing pricing advice and consultations for proposals and international opportunities for engagement teams around the world," says Lenka. "Instead of trying to find the right tax and immigration person in every country, when teams need information about fees for tax and immigration, I'm their single point of contact." Over her career and through her travels, she's built the global network to get teams what they need on tight turnarounds.

"This is a dream job for me. With every move, I have learned more about tax, immigration, about the world, and made friends," concludes Lenka. "I've also had the chance to help others by sharing my own experience, and that makes this job even better."

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