Perspectives

Alumni in the spotlight: Hélène Houle

Client delivery manager – TECSYS SMART ™

Hélène Houle, former head of Studios Créatifs with Deloitte in Montreal, is now client delivery manager at TECSYS.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Montreal and I’ve been living on the South Shore for the last fifteen years, but I’m still a Montrealer at heart. During my free time, I like to play different sports and I love to travel. I had the opportunity to visit Croatia. And guess what? I went with another firm alumnus, Carole Levesque. We were greeted at the airport in Zagreb by the sister-in-law of another alumnus, Sime Visjnic, who is originally Croatian. 

When did you work at Deloitte? What were your title and your position at the firm?

I worked at Deloitte from October 1988 to October 2001. I was hired by the Consulting group at the Montreal office, where I worked as a computer publishing clerk. This was a new position created by the Technology manager, Pierre Tremblay and the partner, Gilles Marcoux. When I left the firm in 2001, I was in charge of Studios Créatifs.

“I have kept in touch with several former colleagues and deep friendships have been formed with some of them.”

What was the highlight of your career at Deloitte?

Most definitely when I was promoted for the first time in my career as the head of Studios Créatifs in 1995. I never imagined that seven years after being hired, I would be in charge of a department with four computer graphics specialists and that the quality of the work we produced would be recognized and valued within the firm. That was a very proud moment for me.

What organization did you leave Deloitte for?

I left the firm for BCE Emergis where I worked from 2001 to 2004. A Deloitte alumnus, Diane Charron, offered me a documentation management position for a client project. I worked for Bruno DuBreuil (another alumnus, who is my boss once again) for three years. Bruno has always trusted me, giving me responsibilities I never had before. I owe a lot of my professional development to Bruno. I will always be grateful to him for that.

What do you do now? What aspect of your role do you prefer?

I have been employed with TECSYS, an important software solutions provider in supply chain management, since 2009. I supervise the development and implementation of a new product, TECSYS SMART™, Supply Chain Modeling And Reference Tools.

 What I like and what motivates me is developing from scratch and implementing whatever is necessary to complete the project (charter, tools, standards, etc.). When all the pieces of the project come together and form a coherent whole, I have a feeling of accomplishment!

How would you describe the recipe of your success?

The first thing for me is that everything is based on client service: integrity, quality and sense of responsibility. I also believe that versatility is an important asset. Finally, as I often tell younger people, a reputation that has been built over the years can be destroyed in an instant.

Have you stayed in touch with other Deloitte alumni? If so, what is the extent of these relationships?

I have kept in touch with several former colleagues and deep friendships have been formed with some of them. We see each other at cocktails, birthdays and alumni events. All the positions or mandates I’ve had since leaving Deloitte were offered to me by firm alumni and the same is true for the position I hold now.

In 2005, Lyn Johnson and Claudia Martel, alumni of the firm who have become good friends of mine, organized a surprise party for my 40th birthday. In addition to inviting family members, they also invited several Deloitte Consulting employees and alumni. I was very moved by the fact that all these people wanted to be a part of my special day. It was simply unforgettable!

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