Eileen Little on a career fueled by camaraderie and exciting opportunities in energy

Eileen Little, partner in Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Audit & Assurance business, has more than 25 years of experience serving regulated electric and gas utilities, energy trading companies, and other merchant generation entities. In addition to her current role as lead client service partner on one of Deloitte’s largest power and utilities attest clients, she also is the professional practice director for the power, utilities, and renewables sector. Beyond her client service roles, Eileen is passionate about the recruitment and development of people, and she leads many of Deloitte’s talent initiatives and programs.

Guiding principles and philosophies

Throughout her career, Eileen has followed the guiding principle of putting her family first. She is deliberate about creating time to spend with her family by keeping track of her daughters’ schedules and other family commitments and blocking days on her calendar that are non-negotiable, sometimes even a year in advance. Eileen has a full support system at home, noting that her spouse has been her biggest cheerleader and mentor, encouraging her to focus on the positives and embrace the opportunities.

Another guiding principle that Eileen abides by is to “relax and enjoy the journey.” She explains how a career is not always a linear path, and that an open mind and a willingness to take risks may result in opportunities that were previously not on the radar.

If you feel all doors are closed, a window will be open for you.

Eileen also describes herself as a “work hard, play hard” professional. She emphasizes the importance of enjoying what you are doing and focusing on the quality of work. “It’s not the number of hours worked, but the quality of those hours worked that matters,” Eileen says.

Camaraderie and continuous learning

Eileen’s career in energy started just as an idea she jotted down on a piece of paper when considering what industry to foray into. Ultimately, the stimulating subject matter and great clients and colleagues were what pulled Eileen to the energy industry.

In the same way that the people in the industry initially drew Eileen to energy, they continue to be the reason why she stays and is excited to go to work every day. She states that the highlight of her career has been “the opportunity to work with great clients and people.” Eileen describes her clients and colleagues as smart and fun to work with.

Eileen explains how the people she has met in the energy industry—both at Deloitte and externally—have created opportunities for continuous learning throughout her career. She emphasizes that she not only learns from the colleagues, board members, and clients that she interacts with daily but also from her team members, including new hires who join with very different skill sets. Eileen notes how these experiences and lessons have motivated her to be both a better professional and a better person overall.

Energy industry transformation

Eileen emphasizes how the increasing focus on clean energy, and on energy security given the current international conflicts, makes it a pivotal moment and an incredibly exciting time to practice in the energy industry. She says “there is a metamorphosis about to happen” because of the shifting focus away from traditional fossil fuels and toward clean energy.

We are just tapping into the potential of what’s to come.

She explains how the role of essential services provided by the companies that she serves in the power and utilities sector is transforming. These companies are playing larger roles domestically and in the global economy, influencing energy policies and long-term resource planning that will likely have an impact on future generations. “It is fascinating to have a front row seat,” Eileen remarks.

Opportunities in energy

Looking back to when she first entered the energy industry, Eileen remembers there being fewer women than men on her engagements—both within Deloitte and with the clients she served. However, since then, leaders have taken great strides toward tilting the ratio of women in the industry. Eileen recalls how in her own experiences she collaborated with male colleagues who took a personal interest in her career and never looked at it through the lens of gender. She feels fortunate to have had these supporters throughout her career.

Eileen states that there is so much potential for professionals looking to enter the energy industry, which is buzzing with “unlimited career opportunities.” She advises that people must be willing to roll up their sleeves and raise their hand so they can have a seat at the table and help shape the future.

Eileen believes it is important to have women in the energy industry because diverse teams are the strongest, and these well-rounded teams typically bring about different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds. When asked when there will be enough women in the energy industry, Eileen explained how there will only be enough when there is true representation across all levels including the C-suite and the board. “We’ll know when we can look across the table and see representation no different than men,” Eileen says. She notes that while we have made great strides, we still have more work to do.