Deloitte University EMEA
Building skills for the future
In June 2024, we were proud to open Deloitte University EMEA (DU EMEA) in Paris, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to developing our people and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
Since then, approximately 29,000 colleagues from across EMEA have walked through the doors of this state-of-the-art learning facility. Through 48 leadership programmes, over 1,200 unique facilitators have played an important role in shaping and inspiring the Deloitte leaders of tomorrow – developing the skills they need now, and preparing them for future challenges.
The story so far
We focus on equipping our people with the skills to support strategic business growth, cultivating a leadership mindset, and empowering them to lead with agility and success in an ever-changing work environment.
DU EMEA is more than just a building; it's a tangible investment in the future of our firm and our people. With 22,000 square metres of dedicated learning spaces, capable of hosting up to 500 delegates daily, it has quickly become a vibrant hub where our people converge, learn and connect with each other.
The future of learning
A big focus for DU EMEA is continuing to help our people to develop their leadership skills in the age of AI.
In May 2025, Heike Dekker-Schäch was appointed the new Dean of the facility, bringing over 25 years of experience in both client-facing and learning and development roles. She explains how DU EMEA is helping our people build the skills of the future.
Q: It’s been over a year since the DU EMEA grand opening. Why is it important to have a dedicated location for EMEA learning – and what makes it special?
A: The most important reason is that DU EMEA enables our people to fully focus on developing the skills and mindsets needed for current and future challenges. In today’s fast-changing world, continuous learning is essential. By bringing our people together across borders, backgrounds and business areas we foster collaboration, broaden perspectives, and help our people build capabilities that set them up for long-term success.
DU EMEA is tangible proof of what we can achieve when we come together across borders. It’s designed to deliver the best possible learning experience, where our people step out of their daily routines, connect with colleagues from across our region, and immerse themselves in personal and professional growth. Every aspect, from the building’s design, operational processes and the dedication of our facilitators has been carefully crafted to deliver an exceptional and memorable learning experience.
Our Shared Values and commitment to being purpose-led are reflected in everything we do: from our curriculum to the food we serve, with wellbeing and sustainability at the forefront. The site was chosen for its transport accessibility. It was built with renewable and low-carbon materials, is powered by 100% renewable electricity, and prioritises natural light, air quality, fitness activities and nutritious food options.
Mentoring and collaboration are also central to our approach. Our curriculum connects participants with senior leaders who share real-world insights, ensuring training is both practically relevant and grounded in actual business experience. By investing in our people’s development in this way, we strengthen our teams and enhance the service and value we deliver to our clients.
Q: What are the most important workplace skills needed to respond to the rapidly changing external landscape, including the rise of AI?
A: While AI is reshaping how we work, the biggest shift I’ve seen isn’t technological; it’s mindset. We must ride the wave: experiment, sample the curve and favour imperfection over paralysis.
That’s why re-imagination is a crucial skill for today’s leaders. You don’t need to be an AI expert, but you do need the ability to imagine what it could deliver and how it could impact the workforce. You need courage to embrace the unknown and simply get started. While at the same time fostering critical thinking and listening to your moral and ethical compass.
And beyond AI, as leaders we must shift how we lead and manage our people. More agility, curiosity and differentiation is needed to respond to increased hybrid working, support cross-cultural teams and different generational needs, and create psychologically safe working environments.
We must continuously evolve and adapt to remain relevant and effective in this dynamic environment. The ability to reflect, learn, unlearn, and relearn is paramount. As the world’s largest professional services firm, we passionately believe in building the skills of the future – equipping our people for whatever they might do next.
Q: What does this shift mean for what we do at DU EMEA?
Our vision is to make DU EMEA the centre for human leadership and human skill development - especially in the age of AI. Because as machines become better at being machines, humans must get better at being human!
Deloitte is absolutely focused on ensuring all of our people are fluent in the latest tools that will help them work more efficiently and deliver an even greater impact for our clients and society - that’s hugely important.
But at DU EMEA, we’re just as focused on growing leaders of the future - continuing to develop the relationship skills that our clients value. Like the ability to influence, emphasise, adapt, think critically, being creative, embracing paradoxes and build long-lasting relationships.
Our firm’s future success is dependent on these very human skills. Machines can think and enable connections, but they can’t feel and build genuine relationships.
