Thuy Barron on the importance of inclusivity and the power of change

Thuy Barron is a managing director in Deloitte Tax LLP’s Global Employer Services practice, specializing in serving clients in the Industrial Products & Construction (IP&C) industry as well as within the Consumer Products industry. She has more than 31 years of experience in global mobility, including tax, talent, and rewards consulting, and is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the manufacturing industry.

On the importance of inclusivity

Born in Vietnam, Thuy and her family immigrated to the United States when she was 6 years old. Upon arrival, they lived in a refugee camp in Arkansas until a sponsor at their church gave her family the opportunity to live in Wisconsin. Thuy and her family continue to reside in the Milwaukee area, and she loves Wisconsin so much that she attended college there. Today, Thuy continues to call Wisconsin home.

Fast-forward to her professional career: Thuy has encountered various situations that had an impact on her as an Asian American in her industry. In Thuy’s opinion, there continues to be a clear gap between the recruitment and retainment of women, not just within the tax and accounting industries but in the manufacturing sector as well. More so, she believes there is an opportunity for growth in the leadership representation for women, especially those with diverse backgrounds such as hers.

“Certainly, there weren’t a lot of women at all in accounting, let alone diverse women, and I think that’s what made me stay in professional services,” she says.

Marketing oneself as an experienced professional with the desire to learn and recognizing there aren’t many professionals that look like you can often be a challenge for professionals with distinct backgrounds. Thuy saw this as an opportunity to assert herself and showcase her talents and reasons for belonging.

“I encouraged myself to be assertive and told myself I have every right to be at the table. I took those opportunities to learn as much as I could from those around me, and doing so helped me tremendously,” she says.

The importance of inclusivity also motivates her daily. Over the years, Thuy has noticed that DEI is increasingly at the forefront of many organizations’ values and strategic practices to hire and retain diverse talent.

Deloitte is a flexible, open, and inclusive environment; it just makes you feel welcome. I’m excited about hiring our new future leaders and sharing the opportunity to come and work at Deloitte.

Thuy reveals her insights on the changes the manufacturing industry is implementing, as well as cross-functional changes within organizations.

“What I’ve been seeing from the start of my career to now is the change in the focus on diversity and inclusion,” says Thuy. “I’m very passionate about that. I think that really drives me, and I’m so grateful and fortunate to be working at Deloitte.”

Tapping into the power of change

Thuy has always been one to see a challenge as an opportunity for change, as she has experienced many challenges in her lifetime. Even though some challenges can be discouraging, she continues to remind herself to be resilient, be patient, and look at challenges as an introduction to grow.

Some see stumbling blocks as a dispiriting factor, but Thuy believes there is no way to dodge some trials or challenges. At an early age, Thuy identified the importance of change, adaptability, and pivoting, as she felt these were important pillars to the foundation of success in her career. Thuy believes that realistically, every day won’t be as good or bad as the last, and it’s important to identify your challenges, embrace the change, and grow in areas of opportunity.

The power of change is embedded in the work that professionals do every day. Fast-forward to 2020, a year no one will ever forget. COVID-19 would have an impact on the world in ways no one could have imagined. COVID-19 affected not only our personal lives but also the functions and operations of many businesses and organizations. This created a desire for Thuy to tap into her creativity and problem-solving capabilities to drive strategy for her clients as the world embodied a new “normal.”

“Obviously, accounting can be very factual and quantitative, but for me, I’m a problem-solver and like to be creative,” Thuy says. “I believe the work I’ve done during the pandemic and now has leaned into my problem-solving skills, and I’ve helped clients address the challenges the pandemic brought despite not working together physically the way we had in the past.”

Being a woman in manufacturing

Thuy believes being a service leader is extremely important to the advancement of female professionals, and that mindset aids them throughout their professional tenures. As Thuy looks back on her career, she wants to share her experiences so that the next generation of professionals are prepared when they start their careers, in particular women in manufacturing, accounting, and tax and those who may look like her.

Being in manufacturing, you have to be patient and persevere. I would say keep learning and continue to be curious. I think having an overall knowledge of the industry gives you confidence; you don’t have to know it all. It’s important to continue supporting each other as other women enter the manufacturing industry and serve manufacturing clients.