Meet Divya Mathur, Data & AI Manager
Meet Divya, a Melbourne-based Manager in our Data & AI team, which is part of the Strategy and AI practice in our Consulting Business Unit, and recently returned from parental leave.
So, tell us about a day in the life …
I started my Deloitte journey back in 2013, and joined the Data & AI practice in 2019. I’ve been fortunate to gain exposure to a variety of roles during this Deloitte life, only to have ended up in Consulting. I am glad I took the plunge to join Consulting because I love it.
My experience includes defining and solving challenging problems for various clients across multiple industries in the space of knowledge and records management. These include conducting maturity assessments, creating knowledge strategies, drafting knowledge taxonomies and metadata models, supporting large scale transformation programs and M&A divestitures.
When not working, I am chasing my 1.5-year-old toddler who is trying to bring down the house. I also enjoy painting, and the pandemic gave me ample opportunity to explore and follow my passion.
The biggest reason: Work-life balance and flexibility.
I have been with Deloitte for my entire career, and only realised the meaning of “work-life balance” when recently I became a mum in the middle of a pandemic. As I needed to extend my parental leave, I was asked if I was ready or if I needed more time and was encouraged to do whatever was right for my family and me. Coming back to work was difficult mentally and physically. My routine had to become VERY flexible all of a sudden. The word “multitasking” had a whole new meaning. The “mum guilt” was also consuming me. The reality is that while my job hadn’t changed when I returned from parental leave, my life had.
What helped me a lot was hearing from other working mums at Deloitte who assured me and understood what I was dealing with and introduced me to the option of reduced work hours, if I needed it. I had many heart-to-heart conversations and shared experiences with senior leaders and coaches as well. It helped me understand that it was okay to step out to be a mum in between work if I needed it.
This experience has made me understand this work culture at Deloitte that values flexibility. I walked back into work with all the support, and encouragement I needed from not just my family, but also my workplace, which is invaluable. I love being home to witness the milestones of my daughter while being back at work at the same time, doing what I love. The transition between my two roles is so smooth and easy. Whether it’s through our team support or mindfulness, it’s heart-warming to see the strong and amazing support we have at the firm.
“Impact” is a word I have heard very frequently at Deloitte. I understand what it truly means when I work together with clients to solve their unique (but also similar) problems, build relationships, have a positive impact on them, businesses and society at large.
Each engagement is different, so no two days at work are the same. I can get exposure to a wide variety of topics and industries, and sometimes the short nature of projects mean adherence to tight timelines. This means I get the opportunity to push myself every day, something I really get excited about.
Outside of what I do, I have had the opportunity to build strong relationships with my team and meet some incredible people which I am so grateful for. I have had several opportunities along the way where I have been able to share my learning's from client experiences in the form of case studies, knowledge/records management 101 sessions, learning pathways and also learning from others in my team along the way. In my own small way, I have contributed to the growth of the Consulting practice.
One of the perks of Consulting is working with a range of clients to focus on the toughest problems their organisation faces. This will provide you with a unique opportunity to learn and develop your skills, get exposure to different industries, functions and tools and help you narrow down your interests to decide on a future career path.
- Coffee order? - (Multiple) Lattes. Mums ALWAYS need coffee!
- TV series recommendation? - Suits
- Favourite song? - Somebody Else by The 1975
To meet more of our team, please visit our Humans of Strategy and AI home page.
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