Life at Deloitte
Career advice from 10 Deloitte leaders
February 19, 2024
In celebration of Black History Month, we are spotlighting ten leaders at Deloitte who have trailblazed their career paths. As they have progressed in their careers, these trailblazers have used their platforms to make an impact, give back to the community, and mentor others. Read their inspiring stories and advice.
Roger G. Arrieux, Jr. is the east region market leader and New York managing partner, Deloitte LLP. Deloitte's New York City office is the organization’s headquarters and largest office, where Roger drives client and business growth and builds relationships with community organizations and business and civic leaders. He is a financial specialist and business leader with over 35 years of experience, leveraging financial, risk, regulatory compliance, business strategy, and governance experience to advise senior management and board members of public and privately held companies, including alternative investment vehicles. He serves as the Chair of the Black Achievers in Industry Steering Committee and Chair of the Braven New York Board, and he also serves on the National Board of Directors of A Better Chance, Braven, and the Greater YMCA of New York.
Roger’s career advice: “Invest in yourself both intellectually and socially. Be curious, ask questions, and do independent work to educate yourself on matters outside your experience. Present yourself confidently and demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable, have invested in yourself, and are prepared to make investments in others.”
China Widener is a principal in Deloitte Consulting LLP who serves as the technology, media & telecom technology sector leader focused on leading the next gen evolution with high-tech clients, including impacts of Gen AI and industry convergence. She sits on the US Deloitte Board of Directors. Prior to Deloitte, she held various executive roles, including COO, in-house counsel, and assistant prosecuting attorney. She has co-authored articles on topics such as the use of technology frameworks for business, delivery model analysis, and closing talent gaps. A longtime DEI champion, she has driven scaled DEI program innovations internally, and often consults with clients and at conferences on business and IT strategy, leadership, and career growth, as well as DEI topics.
China’s career advice: “Two things can both be true: your view, and a broader view. They have different implications, so do not mistake the ability to understand a piece of a puzzle for understanding the full picture. The full picture often yields more options and opportunities than you were aware of.”
Gairy Moore is an Audit & Assurance partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP with more than 27 years of experience providing audit and related services to complex multinational companies across industries. He is the group audit leader in charge of the Atlanta and Birmingham offices, with responsibility for overseeing the services provided by hundreds of professionals on dozens of audit engagements. He is also a member of Deloitte’s Audit Management Committee, and he previously served as a member of Deloitte’s Nominating Committee and Board Council, and as the East region’s Audit Inclusion Leader. He also serves as a nonprofit board member.
Gairy’s career advice: “My advice is to set written career goals that are clearly defined and achievable. And one of the best pieces of career advice I’ve received is: 'Are you going to be a sign of things to come or how things could be?' Also: 'It’s not the stimulus, it’s the response. We all have many things coming at us, we control our response.'”
Kim Griffin-Hunter is Deloitte’s South Florida managing partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP in the Risk & Financial Advisory practice, responsible for the strategy and direction of Deloitte’s local growth initiatives and community impact programs in South Florida. She serves on the Deloitte US Board of Directors and Deloitte Foundation Board of Directors. With over 30 years of experience at Deloitte, Kim serves large multinational and private companies primarily in the healthcare sector by helping them enhance business value through large-scale financial and digital transformations. She is the past national president of the National Association for Black Accountants (NABA) and serves on a number of community boards, including the United Way of Miami and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Kim’s career advice: “Be bold, be proactive, and be yourself. Clients and colleagues can feel the energy you bring to a room, so always be the light. Be passionate about the work you do, and enjoy the roller coaster ride that sometimes comes with it. Each dip, turn, drop, and climb adds to your great resume of life.”
Walter Porter leads Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Government and Public Services (GPS) Enterprise Performance Operating Portfolio where he is responsible for Finance Performance, Supply Chain Network Operations, SAP, Oracle, Emerging ERP, Technology Services Optimization, and Enterprise Operations as service offering lines. With over 25 years of consulting experience, Walter has the great pleasure of supporting clients and acting as a mentor to many Deloitte professionals. Walter is a champion for DEI, and one of his proudest achievements was serving as the inaugural co-dean for the Black Leadership Summit at Deloitte.
Walter’s career advice: “Always remember that you belong here, and don't ever doubt that. Your unique experiences and perspectives can be additive and valuable to many conversations. Speak up and contribute your perspectives without doubt.”
Tonya Wilborn is a principal with Deloitte & Touche LLP in the Risk & Financial Advisory practice, with a specific focus on bringing tailored solutions to clients to help them address their most significant challenges. She has over 20 years of business process risk experience, specializing in internal controls and business process improvement for technology and consumer organizations. She also serves as the chief purpose and DEI officer for the Risk & Financial Advisory practice. She focuses on creating inclusive experiences for Deloitte professionals throughout the talent lifecycle and facilitates Advisory’s investments in purpose and social impact endeavors.
Tonya’s career advice: “As a young person, I aspired for what I saw as the perfect fairytale—meet a prince, live in a beautiful castle, own a talking pet. I’ve learned over time, that when it comes to career growth and advancement, you cannot wait for the perfect role or the perfect path to find success. You must create or seek out the experience you want to have in order to shape a career that is impactful and authentic.”
Reese Blair is an Audit & Assurance partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP with more than 25 years of experience providing audit and related services to a broad spectrum of investment management organizations, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, broker-dealers, investment advisers, and alternative funds. He is also Deloitte’s National Black & Allies Community Co-Leader, east region DEI Audit & Assurance leader, and DEI leader for the greater Philadelphia offices. He was recognized by the Harlem YMCA with its Black Achiever in Industry Award and by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the Delaware Valley’s 40 Under 40.
Reese’s career advice: “Life’s challenges teach us resilience, strength, and the beauty of navigating even the most ‘tumultuous seas’ with the appropriate perspective. It’s been invaluable for me to embrace the perspective of each obstacle facilitating an opportunity for growth and providing a foundation for my elevation.”
Tina Snead is a sales and delivery leader in Deloitte Tax LLP’s tax operate group, where she advises clients to help them analyze the various operating model options and advises on tax governance for large clients. She spent her first 17 years in business tax services compliance where she pivoted every few years from nonprofits to corporations, partnerships, trusts, and individuals.
Prior to joining the tax operate group, she supported Tax leaders and developed and deployed process and technology standards across the central region and then nationally as the Corporate Compliance Competency Leader. She also currently serves as the Deputy Leader of Deloitte Tax LLP’s Black & Allies Community.
Tina’s career advice: “Own your career and self-promote. And on a regular basis, challenge how you’re currently doing work—there likely are ways for you to delegate or for technology to help you be more efficient.”
Trevear Thomas leads Deloitte LLP’s strategic growth offerings (SGO), which focuses on innovating, integrating, and inspiring the next wave of growth for the US member firm. His SGO role includes setting the strategy, go-to-market, and investment agenda with Deloitte’s AI, cloud, cyber, ESG, M&A, PE, and finance transformation, and operate practice areas. He has more than 25 years of experience supporting engagements across the M&A and restructuring lifecycle. He serves as a member of the Deloitte Global Board of Directors, and he previously served as a member of the Deloitte US Board of Directors. He is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Trevear’s career advice: “The best career advice I have received and that I pass onto others is three-fold: 1) be your authentic self; 2) find work that you are passionate about and gives you energy; 3) express all that you do in terms of impact.”
Shauna-Gae Davis is a managing director, with Deloitte Services LP, and Deloitte’s technology business leader, responsible for fostering and managing relationships between technology and internal clients. With over 27 years of experience, Shauna has been recognized for driving transformational programs and delivering Deloitte initiatives in business-critical areas within the organization. She also serves as Chief Technology DEI Officer and National Black & Allies Community Co-Leader.
Shauna’s career advice: “There is no such thing as perfection—it's all about learning. Give yourself grace often and others also. Awareness of your energy, the energy of others, and how you share your power is the key to true leadership.”
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As used in this document, ‘Deloitte’ means Deloitte & Touche LLP, which provides audit, assurance, and risk and financial advisory services; Deloitte Consulting LLP, which provides strategy, operations, technology, systems, outsourcing and human capital consulting services; Deloitte Tax LLP, which provides tax compliance and advisory services; Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, which provides forensic, dispute, and other consulting services, and its affiliate, Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP, which provides a wide range of advisory and analytics services. These entities are separate subsidiaries of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
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