Meet Claire Szatsznajder, Partner in Consulting

We sat down with Claire Szatsznajder, a Partner in the Consulting division with a focus on Climate and Engineering, based in our Sydney office. Claire has been with Deloitte for an impressive 13 years and recently achieved a significant career milestone when she was promoted to Partner in July 2022. 

She shares her journey at Deloitte, her experiences with leadership development, and insights on thriving in a dynamic and ever-evolving environment. Read on to hear Claire discuss her career, leadership, and the transformative power of Deloitte's development programs. 

Tell us about your role at Deloitte and what it involves? 

I’m a Partner in the Smart Industries team, in the Climate and Engineering portfolio in Consulting. My focus is on industry development, supply chain resilience, and sovereign capability.

I've been at Deloitte for 13 years and I was promoted to Partner in July 2022. 

Why did you want to join Deloitte? 

I joined Deloitte in October 2010. I was studying at the time (and working part-time) so found the role advertised online – and applied. I was looking for a place to build my commercial experience and knowledge – I enjoyed the interviews and was lucky enough to get the job! The benefit that stood out for me was the opportunity to build my commercial experience and knowledge. 

What is your career highlight or proudest moment at Deloitte so far? 

One of my proudest moments at Deloitte was supporting the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) to deliver their flagship small business development program.

This was an 8-year program of work for Deloitte that saw us work with the government to support thousands of small and medium Australian businesses around Australia - building their capability, commercial knowledge, and resilience. 

Can you share a personal experience where you felt supported or encouraged in your career growth? 

The most important factor for my personal growth and progression at Deloitte has been the people and leaders that I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by. I can’t overemphasise the importance of surrounding yourself with people that you trust – people that you believe in, and who believe in you.

These people will push you to be the best version of yourself and will help you find and shape opportunities that align to your capability and aspirations. 

What does hybrid or remote working look like for you? 

Hybrid working for me is about finding more balance in life. Being able to work outside in the garden or spend some dedicated quiet time at home is amazing. I actually work in the office about 4 days per week because I love seeing my team and engaging with other parts of Deloitte.

It’s important for me to keep close to my team and understand what other parts of the business are working on. I understand that not many other organisations provide the hybrid working flexibility that Deloitte does – so it’s a real perk. 

What was your experience like when transitioning into a leadership role within Deloitte? 

I wouldn’t call my transition to leadership as an event that happened at a point in time, rather a continual period of growth that just happened to be signposted with promotions. The great thing about progressing into a leadership role at Deloitte is the support that you have access to.

There are multiple programs designed and tailored to suit development areas for growth, to help you grow your ‘leadership shadow’. The other great thing about growing and progressing at Deloitte is the strong support you have across the firm – whether it is leaders or peers. Everyone wants to see you succeed and will do anything they can to enable that. 

Can you tell us about any leadership or training programs you’ve been a part of? 

I participated in Ignite (a manager program that I did a few years ago), Aspiring Women, Lean in Circles, SLP, and DPP. Firstly, it is a privilege to be invited to participate in these programs – the firm recognises you as talent and someone that is invested in their growth and development, so they invest in you. 

The learnings you get from participating in these programs are amazing – it is such a good opportunity to step out from the normal “day to day” and focus on the bigger picture – your values, your aspirations, and support network. The most valuable part of these programs for me was the networks and relationships that I developed along the way. Many of these are my Partner peers across Deloitte!

I think it is important to note that these programs are not a “magic pill’ to progression through the firm. The way that I looked at them was about my personal development and growth – as a person and a leader – not whether I was getting promoted. Promotion alone is an arbitrary form of measuring success. 

What was your experience changing teams within Deloitte? How has it positively impacted your career trajectory and long-term goals within the company? 

I have changed teams multiple times! The first big change was transferring from Melbourne to Sydney. Deloitte gave me the opportunity to move to Sydney in June 2019. I was part of a national team, so I was still delivering the same work, for the same clients, but was just surrounded by a different local team.

The second big change was when I moved from Deloitte Private into Consulting. This was a big change – new people, systems, processes, client focus areas. I won’t lie, it was hard. I was leaving all that I knew (I was at Deloitte Private for 9 years) into a new business. Luckily, I found myself in a really great team – people that I formed long-lasting relationships with. This very much helped with the transition.

The third big change was moving from a team formerly known as Operations Transformation to Climate and Engineering, just as I was transitioning to Partner. Again, this was a really good transition, as I was supported by peers and leaders that were supportive and collaborative in the change. The only constant is change, and it is important to realise that at Deloitte, change is happening all the time. My advice would be to embrace the change, know your values, and take (calculated) risks. You never know where they could take you! 

Why do you believe Deloitte is an excellent fit for women considering a career move? 

Deloitte prides itself on being very inclusive and supportive, with many opportunities for women at our firm, including WIC, Aspiring Women Program, and others. 

My personal advice to potential candidates for Deloitte: 

• Do the research – understand what Deloitte does and something that interests you. 
• Know your value – how can you contribute to the business and to those around you? 
• Ask questions – take the opportunity to ask questions about the business; it’s a great chance to learn something new that you didn’t know! 
• Think medium to long term – what do you want to achieve and how can Deloitte enable that?

Finally, what makes you stay? 

I’ve been at Deloitte for 13 years, and there are several reasons why I am still here. The quality of the people, the variety of problems and challenges I get to solve, and the culture and ethos of the firm all align with my values and keep me motivated. 

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