"…being a people-centric business, all the leaders realise the importance of having the team’s mental well-being at the top of the agenda."

How is Deloitte leading the way in your field?

Deloitte is seen as a leader in the Technology industry for Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) advisory. The Financial Due Diligence Tech team has been involved in all the biggest M&A transactions during recent years and has built a ‘trusted advisor’ reputation amongst clients. With the help of an established data analytics team, Deloitte has been a leader in integrating innovative solutions in M&A advisory.

And it’s a fascinating learning experience to part of an industry that’s going through a transitory period - I think that in the next five years we’ll see technology companies transition into service-based platforms.

Is there much opportunity to move roles and locations internally?

Yes there is. I was originally located in the Mumbai office, and was seconded to the London office in 2017. Deloitte’s London office is one of the biggest Due Diligence practices and offers opportunities to work on the headline making M&A deals. That exposure is what attracted me to London. In 2019, I also had the opportunity to relocate to Deloitte’s Amsterdam office as part of the North and South Europe secondment program here. I saw that as a great way to broaden my horizons by living in a different geography and interacting with our Dutch colleagues. I’m back in London now, so I’ve moved around quite a bit during my career so far.

What would you say to someone thinking about joining?

Do it. I believe that working with a team full of talented people makes every day a challenge (in a good sense) and drives a healthy competitive spirit. Deloitte gives you lots of opportunities to hone your skills and an open-door approach from the senior leadership makes it a great organisation to build your career with.

"I understand that it’s ok to be me, I don’t have to be really forceful to succeed – we need a range of people in a team to make it work."

What made you choose Deloitte?

I was attracted to Deloitte because of its reputation as an employer who values their employees. Coming from industry as an experienced hire, I was interested in building my skills in a new area of expertise. It was therefore really important for me to join a company that provided good training and a team environment where I could learn from my colleagues.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do? What do you enjoy most?

I use the analytical and project management skills I built up in my engineering days to support clients in solving their real estate problems. My work is incredibly diverse and varied, as are the clients I support. We have amazing links with public sector clients as well as the private sector and I enjoy both sides of that. I’m often dealing with a range of issues at one time and defining the problem as we go which can be challenging. But I’ve found that through discussions with more senior team members, I’m able to priorities the issues and put my focus where it’s most needed.

I really enjoy working with a range of stakeholders, building relationships and working as a team. But I get the most joy from working through a problem and seeing the difference that I’ve made for our client. It gives me a real sense of purpose.

You’ve recently returned from maternity leave, how has Deloitte supported you?

It’s been really great. I’ve felt empowered to find a working pattern that suits me, my daughter and our routine and have been supported in my request to work part-time. I was also automatically enrolled in training for working parents that has taught me some valuable skills and has helped me overcome some of the challenges I’ve been facing.

One of the things I love about Deloitte is that everyone is genuinely supportive of each person’s individual requirements and career aspirations. I am proud when I look at our organigram and see a number of female partners and directors.

"Deloitte is changing the mentality to agile working and the diversity debate."

Is ‘flexible working’ a myth or reality?

Deloitte is changing the mentality to agile working and the diversity debate. In terms of actual goals and openness to different ways of working, the firm is leading the way. I’ve benefitted from this personally; in 2015 I was able to take a mixture of Time Out (annual unpaid leave option) and standard annual leave, to go travelling in Australia and New Zealand for two months.

What’s the best part of your job?

Hands town, the sub-team I work in – Travel Hospitality and Leisure (THL) – is the best part my job. We are very open and supportive of each other, which makes the working environment great. Additionally, I find THL more relatable, and more interesting, than other sectors, as travelling is one of the things I enjoy doing outside work.

Tell us about your career journey so far

I joined Deloitte as part of the graduate programme in Corporate Tax in 2008, and transferred to M&A (in THL) in 2014. I work in business development, which mainly involves assisting with the preparation and delivery of proposals and keeping up to date with the travel industry. Typical tasks include drafting marketing materials, helping with deal negotiations, and liaising with the client and deal advisors to project manage a transaction to completion. On a project, I’ll also manage a team of juniors.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go on a 10-month secondment, to assist with the FA integration of North West Europe. This gave me a good insight into how firm strategy is set and actioned. I worked with very senior partners (both UK and internationally) and learnt people skills I would have never been exposed to otherwise, as well as greatly improving my personal network.

“Diversity in my team is important to me, as it drives innovation and creativity.”

What attracted you to Deloitte?

Deloitte appeals to me for several reasons, but diversity and inclusion was the biggest one. When I looked up the partners in Financial Advisory, I was pleasantly surprised to see others like me, a woman of Indian origin, in high-profile positions. I’d really like to see diversity increase in the coming years, so there are even more role models for people to look up to.

How do you explain your work to others?

I tell my friends and family that I am an IT Architect. Just like a building architect creates blueprints for buildings, I create blueprints for software systems. My office specialises in Digital Forensics and Financial Crime Advisory, meaning we develop technology solutions to prevent financial-crime and protect clients.

What gives you a sense of purpose at work?

I really enjoy making sure this world is a better place by minimising financial crime to some extent, as well as protecting people and their finances with the technology solutions we create. Diversity in my team is important to me, as it drives innovation and creativity. We are using the power of technology to enhance the human aspect of our business, so having a representation of society in my team is crucial for ensuring that our solutions will work well for everyone. Deloitte shows us the ‘big picture’ and helps us to understand the significance of our little contributions.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I come from a techie family and we are regular participants in Raspberry Pi based Robotics competition, called Piwars. I am also a STEM ambassador and used to run a code-club in one of our local schools in the pre-covid days.