New Partner Helen Carney discusses her career journey and the significance of her new role at Deloitte.
"Be easy to work with and collaborate. Deloitte's strengths lie in its people and cross-firm collaboration."
Tell us about your career to date:
My career began working in Human Resources. After 10 years working in a variety of different HR roles, I wanted to focus more on project work. In 2016, this led me to role at Deloitte working in Human Capital on HR transformation projects. I soon transitioned focussing on the HR and people aspects of M&A and now sit in the M&A business.
What role have client relationships played in your journey to Partner?
Building strong client relationships has been crucial. M&A work involves navigating challenging periods with clients, fostering deep connections. I've learned immensely from clients, particularly around engaging with the board, the exec and working across different functions. These relationships have also been invaluable in shaping our M&A people practice, ensuring our propositions address clients' real needs throughout the transaction lifecycle.
What does GenAI mean for you and your career?
GenAI presents both opportunities and potential threats to our services. We're still exploring its full implications, but we actively integrate it into client delivery. When building client propositions, we must consider how GenAI can differentiate our services, making them more compelling, efficient and adding value for our clients.
What does being a Partner mean to you?
As a relatively new, defined group, the M&A people business benefits significantly from Partner-level sponsorship within Deloitte. My appointment validates the market opportunity we've identified and empowers me to grow our team and offerings – an exciting prospect for both our team and our clients.
What one piece of advice do you have for those aspiring to move into a senior leadership role?
Prioritise being collaborative and easy to work with. Deloitte's greatest asset is its talented people, and cross-firm collaboration is essential. I always encourage collaboration across offerings and geographies. Also, don't hesitate to ask for help, both from those senior and junior to you. As a working mum, I also emphasise the importance of open communication at home about the support needed, especially as responsibilities and pressures increase.