A Deloitte professional finds new ways to help fulfill her calling of service to others

Candice Abreu works to help people grow. “For me, work has always been about connection and building others up so they could excel,” she says. Early in her career, she lived that purpose by working at non-profit organizations and in public schools in her hometown of New York City. “It wasn’t just about teaching students,” she says of her time there. “For me it was about connecting to the communities and to their families. It was about creating a through line so that others could excel.” Candice has always seen service as a calling. When she came to Deloitte two and half years ago, she was curious about how she would find ways to put her lifelong devotion to service into action. Turns out she’s had more opportunities than she can count – and with every one, she finds yet another door opens to help lift up others.

A manager with Deloitte LLP dedicated to the Deloitte Greenhouse, which specializes in building breakthrough experiences for clients based on science and research, Candice focuses furthering Deloitte’s mission of purpose and social impact. In doing so, she’s helped design programs for Deloitte’s Making Accounting Diverse and Equitable (MADE) commitment, the Deloitte Health Equity Institute, and the OneTen Coalition, which works to expand opportunities for people without four-year college degrees, of which Deloitte is a founding member. “In this work, I think about, what are the questions we should ask so that Deloitte can provide appropriate support?,” she says. “Are we incorporating multiple voices into these conversations? Who else should be in the room?” With MADE, Candice worked with colleagues to help evaluate programming and support the Deloitte professionals who contribute their time to the program. “A lot of our conversations focus on how to make these opportunities as big and meaningful as we can, while also staying true to our purpose and why we do this work,” she says. “The purpose is always my north star.”

For her leadership, Candice is a recipient of the 2024 Michelle Go Inclusive Leadership Award, given to Deloitte professionals who work to help create environments of inclusion and belonging where professionals can bring their authentic self and leadership to Deloitte. “I’ve found an environment that feels purposely created for me to grow in and to drive what I care about,” she says. “I think there’s always a door to something new, and there’s always an opportunity for me to stretch into something else.” When it comes to leading her own teams, Candice prioritizes listening: “I consider myself an ally, supporter, sponsor, and advocate for my colleagues, and I think it is important to show up for each other,” she says. “I find that sometimes the best form of service is approaching others with curiosity and learning more about what is important to them.”