Deloitte Women in Treasury

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I started my career as a graduate in the Treasury Finance function of an Irish bank. I joined Deloitte UK as an assistant manager in 2011 and was involved in a wide range of advisory projects and audits before taking over the Treasury Assurance team in 2015. Since then, I have worked with a range of people across Deloitte to transform the team into the Treasury Assurance team, a team of 50 people providing audit and non-audit services in relation to Treasury Financial Reporting. I was promoted to Partner in 2020 to lead the Treasury Assurance team.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
Building and maintaining relationships has been central to my career. In the early days, these relationships provided me with exciting and challenging opportunities, as well as supporting my growth and development. Now, as a leader of the team, I understand that it is my turn to provide others with similar opportunities. The cornerstone of these relationships has always been clear and appropriate communication.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
The happiness and health of my family. Apart from them physically waking me every morning at 5am and giving me no choice but to get up, they are why I do what I do every day. I am incredibly lucky to have a job that I find both challenging and enjoyable, and to work alongside some truly exceptional people on interesting projects. However, everything I do is ultimately for my family.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I am collaborative and have a straightforward approach to communication. I have a team of smart, driven and hardworking people, it is important that they feel trusted and motivated to deliver on our shared vision for the team. I have to facilitate that.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My parents. Because of them, I am resilient and have a strong work ethic. Most importantly, I grew up not realising that there could be limitations on what I could do in my life or my career because of my gender. My parents always told me I could do anything I put my mind to.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Women are naturally resilient; it is what makes us different. You might not be aware of this until the moment you need it.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I joined Deloitte as a graduate in our audit practice. I’d always enjoyed technical accounting problems and once qualified as a chartered accountant, I moved into Accounting Advisory team.
Over time, I developed an interest in financial instruments and had the opportunity to support corporate clients with the accounting for complex treasury transactions. I was able to use my strengths to carve out a niche for myself in building our Treasury Accounting team.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
I’m incredibly lucky to have some amazing sponsors and role models who have supported my career development, believed in me and helped me to promote myself, something I don’t find easy. I am surrounded by a team who want to see each other succeed.
However, nothing can replace hard work and determination, stepping outside your comfort zone and challenging yourself before you feel 100% ready.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
Coffee! Once I’ve had my caffeine fix, I really enjoy getting stuck into a complex technical problem with my team, finding a pragmatic approach to providing a quality solution, and delivering the outcome to a client in a clear, concise way.
Outside of work, I love travelling and I always like to have a trip in the calendar with my family, it is so important to spend quality time with them. Preferably somewhere sunny!

How would you describe your leadership style?
I work collaboratively with my team. I give them the opportunity to lead and develop, however, treasury accounting is often complex and I’m always willing to help. When there is a problem, I will get stuck in, and we will deal with it as a team.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
I’ve so many sources of inspiration in my leadership team and my family.
At the moment, my children inspire me with their innocence, their curiosity, and their boundless energy! I want them to grow up having confidence in themselves to achieve whatever they put their mind to and knowing they can overcome any hurdle.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
We’ve all got unique strengths and qualities that complement each other. It’s so important to appreciate and support those differences so we can learn from each other.
Let’s be positive role models for the upcoming generation and just imagine all the amazing things they can accomplish!

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
Having trained as a lawyer, I joined one of the Big Four’s legal teams upon qualification. I have been working alongside tax, treasury and accounting colleagues from then, advising clients on corporate legal aspects of all their intra-group matters. I moved to Deloitte in 2019 and became a partner in the Corporate legal team and part of the global Corporate Reorganisation network.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
Having a great sponsor, who encourages you to do your best, has been really helpful. My personality-style is not to promote the great work that we do, and the innovative things that we work on – I expect everyone to just know what we do.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
A key driver for me is being able to coach and train junior team members – they are the future and helping people recognise and then achieve their potential is extremely rewarding. Within the Legal team, we have recently seen our first cohort of legal trainees successfully finish their training, their gruelling exams, and qualify as lawyers, and knowing that I have played a part in that is, for me, what life is about.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I like to think that I am an open leader, approachable, encouraging and someone who has time for everyone. I am often heard saying that there is no such thing as a silly question, and that you are thinking you don’t fully understand something, someone else will also have the same thought, so don’t feel afraid about asking questions. I am have a growth mindset and learn something new almost every day!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
As a junior team member, inspiration came from those around me – I had a very supportive (male) boss who encouraged me to stretch myself and try new things. As I have become more senior (read older!) I know have two children and they have become my inspiration – I want to show them that you really can do whatever you set your mind to, and that those hurdles that may be in the way CAN be overcome.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
This is a message for everyone, not just women out there – try to learn something new every day, or push yourself to do something that scares or challenges you.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I have spent most of my career working in client facing corporate law roles at Deloitte or one or other of the Big 4 professional firms. I specialise in both domestic and international corporate reorganisations projects, which means that I often work alongside other Treasury SMEs at Deloitte to support on various treasury related legal matters.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
I am self-driven and love to be challenged by complex problems to find solutions.
I am genuinely interested and invested in my reorganisations team and developing them as I progress through my career so that they become the future leaders of the firm.
I have had some amazing sponsors and mentors throughout my career who have believed in me and opened doors for me that I could not open alone. Fouteen years ago, I may not have found my way back to work after maternity leave if it was not for one of these sponsors who believed in me and was confident in my value in the working world. I will always be grateful to him for that support at that time.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
Peleton! I work out every day as it is a big factor in my wellbeing. I see it as important as brushing my teeth in the morning. Working out helps me focus and keep my stress levels under control. Nothing seems so bad by the time I step off my treadmill, my spin bike or finish a strength class. I believe that a lot of the principles and motivational affirmations that apply to physical fitness equally apply to mental fitness and to life in general and this helps me in all aspects of living a happy and balanced life.

How would you describe your leadership style?
Firm but fair. I like to give my team the opportunity to be autonomous and think for themselves but with the knowledge that I am there when they need that extra support and, most importantly, the comfort of knowing that if something goes wrong, we will deal with it as a team.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My husband who is my equitable partner in life – someone who understands and helps me make a real difference to the challenges that I have faced as a female and an ethnic minority in both my personal and professional life so that our children have a different experience.
My two children who are so much more confident and strong than I ever was at their age. I am constantly in awe of what wonderful humans they are.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
I recall a couple of years ago, a senior male colleague said this day is not about me, its about you so what do you think. He meant well but to me, IWD is not just about women. This is about all of us if real change is to be made so let’s all be allies.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I have spent my career at Deloitte working in various parts of Tax and landing in the Treasury space about 15 years ago. Since then, I have worked with a wide portfolio of clients supporting them in their Treasury related activity. I have lead Deloitte’s Treasury Tax team for the last 5 years, and have since focused on developing the eminent leadership team we have today.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
I am curious, I want to know how things work and why.
I am creative, I take concepts and create solutions.
I am collaborative, my biggest asset is my team.
I care – we are stronger together; it is hard to succeed as an island – I measure my success by the success and cohesion of the teams I work in.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
I love problem solving, I am at my best when faced with a conundrum and a white board. If you can add to the mix a team of talented and passionate individuals to collaborate with, that’s when the magic happens.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I am collaborative in my approach to leadership – whilst have a clear sense of direction for my business and I drive the strategy, I believe we are stronger as a team and that we will only be at our best if we collaborate effectively. Treasury is a complex area of taxation, with many potential pitfalls – working collaboratively fast tracks junior development, whilst providing a safety net and pressure valve for the team. No (wo)man should be left behind.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My family – I am lucky to have strong female role models in my mother and sister, they have shown me that gender should never be a barrier.
My daughters – I aim to pass on that legacy to my daughters – I want them to believe in themselves and not be limited by their sex.
My leadership team – together we are showing the power of female leadership.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
I am where I am today because of the role models I’ve had. Let us be role models for the next generation – imagine what they will achieve.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I joined Deloitte as a business tax graduate in London in 2007. I started to specialise in Treasury Tax advisory on relocating to Manchester in 2010, taking advantage of an opportunity to join a newly established national team. The team has gone from strength to strength and I was promoted to partner to lead the regional treasury tax business in 2023.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
Finding inspiring mentors who believe in me. I have a natural drive and ambition, and nothing can replace hard work, but those relationships have allowed me to unlock so many opportunities in my career.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
I have been accused of planning to within an inch of my life - but in reality I love having something to look forward too outside of work. Whether it’s organising an activity with my kids at the weekend, our next family holiday or an evening with my friends - it keeps me going to know I’ve got time carved out to spend with the important people in my life.

How would you describe your leadership style?
Collaborative. I thrive on pulling together as a team to over deliver for our clients. We can all suffer from imposter syndrome, but I’ve always found that open discussion and collaborative decision making gives me the confidence to be a successful leader.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
There are so many inspiring people close to me that I could list and who have helped me get to where I am today, but at the moment my 8 year old daughter inspires me every day. She has a such a strong sense of herself already and always sees the best in people. I strive to be more like her.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Celebrate your own achievements as enthusiastically as you would celebrate for others.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I started out in corporate tax in the Reading office working on a wide range of international clients. Over time, I became interested in focussing on the taxation of treasury matters and started to spend a bit more time in that area. Then in 2012 – 2014 I was involved in a big project where I was able to get a lot of experience and really start embedding my knowledge of treasury tax. From then on, I transitioned to spend more of my time in that area so that, for a number of years it has been my full-time role.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
One of the main things that has allowed me to succeed in this area has been the willingness of other people to invest their time in helping me to build the skills and knowledge I needed. The other key factor has been being given the space to carve out a niche in a specialist area that plays to my strengths.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
I really enjoy the challenge of working through a knotty technical problem, developing a solution and then presenting that back to the client in a digestible form. I also love the opportunity to work with member of the team to build their skills, knowledge and confidence and to see them develop in their careers.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I am a leader who is also part of the team – if there’s a tight deadline to be met then I’ll try to muck in to get us, collectively, over the line. I also like to get to know the member of my team, so you may well find me catching up with someone over a coffee without any particular agenda but just to check in, have a chat, and see how they’re doing.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
There have been many people over the (many!) years of my career who have inspired me in different ways – to strive to do more, to aim to reach my potential, to challenge myself or to seek new opportunities.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Your career path may not look “standard” or “traditional” but it’s still absolutely valid.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I grew up in Belgium and after my studies there I accepted a role at BT Plc, in their finance graduate programme. The bright lights of London definitely pulled me here! I soon moved into BT’s Treasury function and enjoyed treasury work, so when after c 5 years of having great training and a broad range of roles there, when a headhunter suggested I apply for a treasury advisory role at Deloitte I jumped at the opportunity. As ever, you need some luck in life: at the time of my interview I was studying for the professional treasury qualification so incredible timing to help me with some of my interview questions on treasury topics!

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
See above: some luck!
Also, you must enjoy what you do. Having been with Deloitte for more than 25+ years, I often get asked about having been so long in one place. The simple answer is that I love my job.
It goes without saying: wanting to do well (which can mean working hard at times); and finally: don’t be afraid to get challenged and move outside your comfort zone to grow. Our roles as we progress at Deloitte changes, and this change means growth but can also be somewhat scary at times. Go for it!

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
I’d like to say my half an hour of yoga or fitness before the world wakes up, but that is currently an ambition rather than reality. I do wake up earlier than my family however, to have a half hour of time to myself (with a cup of coffee), to reflect and just take some time.
In addition to really enjoying my work (see above), with all that entails around helping our clients and supporting our people grow and develop, I think that what I ultimately care about most is being a role model to my children (both son and daughter), and showing how you can have an exciting and fulfilling career whilst balancing that with raising a family, enjoying those very important friends and taking care of yourself; and that even when you drop the ball occasionally in one of these quadrants in our life, that’s OK too.

How would you describe your leadership style?
Collaborative most of the time – especially on project work with the team, and on strategic matters where I will often value the input from peers, team members or senior leaders. The power of harnessing so many people’s insights and ideas is incredible.
My style has certainly developed over the years and it can be somewhat flexible depending on the situation.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
To be truthful, I always struggle with this question. Growing up or in my early years of my career, I never really stood still to consider this. Looking back, it has to be a multiple of people – my parents, for achieving much in life through hard work and dedication, and passing on this commitment to my siblings and me; some of my Deloitte ‘bosses’ over the years for their inclusive leadership styles; and most recently my children who have taught me more about relationships than I could have imagined.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Get as much inspiration you can from other women you admire but remember that there are many different successful ways and styles, so find a way that feels right for you. And get a sponsor!

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I began my career with Siemens in Germany where I had the opportunity to have my university degree sponsored whilst completing a commercial trainee programme. During the programme, one of the various placements I completed included FX risk management for large energy projects. Despite my initial lack of knowledge about FX, I was intrigued by the field and decided to make it my career by joining Siemens Treasury after graduating. I then had the opportunity to complete a secondment to the UK to support local Treasury operations for 18 months (which turned into 12 years and counting). After moving to a boutique advisory firm for a few years, I joined Deloitte to help build its hedging team, which has been an exciting journey and great to see the business and team grow.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
I have only ever taken on roles which I knew I was going to enjoy. I’ve never been an advocate for ticking things off which look good on the CV, but don’t bring happiness. I’m a strong believer that if you’re passionate about what you’re doing and have fun doing it, then the success will come without forcing it.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
My Alarm! I’m more of a night owl than an early bird. What gets me through the day is the variety of the role and the people I work with. I get a lot of enjoyment out of helping companies improve and save money, but also building our business from scratch and seeing it flourish. Most importantly, it is great to see the team develop by getting themselves out of their comfort zones and succeeding at it.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I generally trust until proven otherwise, since it is important for the team to have autonomy in the work they are doing, with the knowledge that they can ask for support when needed. Deloitte employs intelligent people, and I would argue that the vast majority don’t enjoy being micromanaged. I also like to encourage people to leave their comfort zone, since these are the moments in my career where I’ve personally learned the most.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
I truly admire women who manage to stay authentic whilst rising through the ranks, successfully juggling family lives whilst having a fulfilling career and still finding some time to focus on themselves. Unfortunately, examples become rarer the higher you go up in an organisation. It is, therefore, one of my biggest career goals to do everything in my power to create plenty of role models the following generation can be inspired by.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
We all have the obligation to actively become more aware of inequality and speak up to openly right wrongs when they occur, instead of remaining silent or just addressing them behind closed doors.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I grew up and studied in France. I was quickly attracted to finance as a way to put years of mathematics classes into practice and very curious about the international opportunities it offered. I started my career in 2008 in the US (not the best year to start as a Finance grad), then joined the treasury team in another Big 4 in France and the UK, and finally moved to Deloitte having met the team on a transaction.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
Hard work, the right place at the right time (call this luck) and sponsorship! I have worked really hard to build my technical knowledge and network, spending time with my clients and colleagues to understand and learn from them. I see certain projects as building blocks, giving me the platform and access to get to the next level, and finally, brilliant leaders along the way who helped me build my confidence, cheered for me and gave me a nudge where needed.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
A sense of excitement about the new day ahead and my children! Every day feels like a new start for me, bringing new opportunities and challenges. I love learning about new topics, people and myself. A typical day for me would involve listening to a podcast, reading a book, checking in with family, friends and colleagues, diving deep into a new question at work and reflecting on how all this made me feel.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I am very collaborative and approachable. I like to make new connections and it comes naturally to me to greet everyone with a big smile! I set very high expectations for myself and others, but I am always around to help and get into the details to solve a problem.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
I have always struggled to name a single person, but I really admire people that are open to other opinions and are not afraid to show and be vocal about their insecurities.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Trust yourself, you are enough and you can do anything! Ask for help and guidance even when you feel the solution needs to come from you as people love to share their experience and have a positive impact on others.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
I grew up and studied in France. I decided to have an international career in finance after an internship in the in-house bank of a global automotive company. I started my career in 2008 in France, joining the treasury advisory team in another Big 4; moved to Canada on a 2-year secondment, where I ended up staying for 7 years. In 2020, I was contacted by a former French colleague, who is now a Director at Deloitte UK, and decided to join her team at Deloitte UK (showing the importance of network!).

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
I think it is all about seizing opportunities to develop my skills and challenge myself; building a meaningful network, spending time with my clients and colleagues; and meeting brilliant leaders who supported me to get to the next level.
I believe that even though sponsorship was key to my career success, building strong followership, particularly to get to director level, was evenly critical. All your team members contribute to your success!

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
My morning workout session (new habit that I picked up during covid)! Then, when I open the laptop to start a new day, it is the excitement of not knowing exactly what the day is going to bring, the diversity of topics, clients and people I am going to work with. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I am very positive, collaborative, and adaptable. I always come to work with a smile and try to keep it even in challenging times. I am an “integrator,” so I thrive best in a collaborative environment and highly value ideas and feedback from my client/team. I also really take pride in developing others and hence always make time to work closely with junior team members.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
I tend to look up to people that are the closest to me, so it will be my colleagues and team leaders, friends and family. I really admire people that have an entrepreneurial mindset where they have the confidence to take risk and turn potential failure into learning.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
Look back and take pride of how much you have accomplished! Taking time to self-reflect, recognise your strengths, and congratulate yourself will help you build the confidence to do the things you think you cannot do.

How did you arrive in your current role? What’s your story?
As a child, all I wanted was to become a scientist. Being the first in my family to attend university, roles like consulting were never introduced in school. I pursued my passion for science. Yet, I soon realized that this was not for me, leading me to shift to finance. A couple of years later, it was time for a change, the opportunity for a consulting position was too good to pass up and I have not looked back since.

What are the key ingredients of your career success?
Based on my personal experience, I believe that one of the most important factors for success is maintaining a flexible mindset and avoiding becoming overly attached to a specific career plan. By keeping an open mind, you can quickly recognize and seize unexpected opportunities that can take you down a completely different path. Also being in the right place at the right time has the power to transform your career in ways that you may never have initially imagined.

What gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about?
I am extremely passionate about delivering exceptional work, while also upholding a strong sense of equality and fairness in everything we do. I am incredibly proud of my team's success, and I always strive to support and motivate them. Also the joy I get from being a parent -- watching my children grow and excel. I am grateful to have found a career that allows me to be present for their lives, while also pursuing a job that I am deeply passionate about!

How would you describe your leadership style?
I have a very supportive and collaborative leadership style. As a leader I value the opinions and contributions of my team, and actively encourage open communication and idea sharing to make decisions and achieve goals as a team. I take as much pleasure in others achieving their goals as my own.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
I always find this question so hard, as I'm constantly discovering new sources of inspiration from a variety of places rather than just one person. It comes from the team I work with, my family, and the incredible individuals I've met through the charity I proudly serve as a trustee. I'm immensely grateful for the experiences that inspire me every day and the opportunities that come my way.

What’s your message on International Women’s Day?
We are often our own biggest blockers in the way of our success. Sometimes we just need to keep pushing forward until someone tells us to stop — and then go a bit further! So when in doubt, keep going -- you never know what incredible opportunities may lie just around the corner.