The best deserve the best

Every week, I encounter colleagues whose talents just take one’s breath away. They have the fire to be outstanding, an exceptional drive to embrace the extraordinary, and the desire to ROAR in everything they do.

It’s colleagues like these- past, present, and future, who shape our story, and we’re here to give them their launchpad.

Deloitte, the Olympics, and a unique programme

Deloitte is the Worldwide Management Consulting Partner for the International Olympic Committee. One of our interventions for our professionals was a first-of-its-kind leadership development programme that brought together the brightest young minds from across the Deloitte universe for a six-month-long journey focused on human-oriented leadership.

The aim was to recognise, develop, and inspire future leaders that champion their own capabilities and potential.

With virtual sessions to begin with, the programme’s pièce de résistance was the in-person sessions at the awesome Deloitte University campus near Paris, coinciding with the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

It was a rigorous and merit-driven selection process. Candidates had to submit a heartfelt statement of purpose and then face panel interviews with the firm’s leadership. Out of the hundreds eligible, four emerged victorious: Ashni Rai , Vaibhavdikshit , Sakshi Bajaj , and Pritish Narang . I won’t call them the “lucky” ones because luck had nothing to do with this… it was all hard work by these four, which they put in while also upholding their existing responsibilities!

The road to Paris

Apart from the sessions organised by Deloitte Global, a big shout out to my peers from Deloitte India who invested their time in exclusive sessions with our four candidates: Dhiraj Bhandary , MamathaAnand , Viral Thakker , Rumki Majumdar, PhD. , Anuradha Gupta , Varun Rastogi , and of course, 德勤 South Asia CEO, Romal Shetty himself.

The learning menu wasn’t just limited to 德勤 's role in the Olympics, but also to orient the delegates with the depth and breadth of everything that Deloitte India has been doing, from sustainability to AI. And let’s not forget… a session on the Indian economy’s performance and prospects too. At the close of the virtual leg, the four of them weren’t just acquainted with the course’s core curriculum but were confident ambassadors for India and Deloitte India.

Arriving in the centre of the world

The eyes of the world were on Paris, but our delegates were among the chosen ones who got to witness the action as it happened. They arrived at Deloitte University as the Olympic Games fever was at its crescendo and the campus experience itself was out of this world. It combines a futuristic aesthetic with state-of-the-art technology, but it also feels like a resort in a forest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smc1rIHM6qw

Upon arrival, all delegates were given a guided tour of the campus and that evening, they put their best foot forward at a networking dinner with colleagues from around the world. This was an excellent opportunity for them to represent India and give their new friends a glimpse of the country’s and Deloitte India’s phenomenal growth story. It wasn’t all serious… they also had some fun quizzes about the Olympics, as well as about French culture.

An experience of a lifetime!

The next two days were truly awesome (I wish I could have been there myself! ?).

There was plenty of learning from sessions such as navigating change and uncertainty and creating a cohesive environment with teams to reach higher. The delegates had the chance to meet Deloitte leaders who are spearheading our work with the International Olympics Committee, former Olympic athletes working with Deloitte in Advisory teams, and importantly, members of Team Deloitte – colleagues who are currently a part of our organisation and competed in the Olympics.

And there was more, our colleagues actually witnessed history being made. They will fondly remember watching beach volleyball, swimming, and basketball, but what a conversation starter it’s going to be to say that they were there when decorated gymnast, Simone Biles won a gold medal!

There was also a visit to Maison Deloitte, the hub where Deloitte hosted top talent and cherished clients for Olympic Games. Here, they engaged with some high-tech, AI-powered installations, including one where they could lend their commentary to past events at the Olympic Games, just like the pros.

All’s not work…

How can one go to Paris and not indulge in a bit of sightseeing? Sakshi and Pritish hit the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, Ashni was off to the Montmartre neighbourhood and lived out moments from one of her favourite TV shows, while Vaibhav travelled down south to explore Cannes, Nice, and St. Tropez. They didn’t forget their well-wishers and returned with plenty of souvenirs and presents!

All four are back to base now. I’m sure they have been getting a lot of queries about their experience and rightfully so. Many can speak about attending a leadership development programme, but this one was certainly very #DistinctlyDeloitte. And when the world is so dynamic, organisations need to look beyond the ordinary and create precisely such opportunities for their people to unleash their full potential and make an #ImpactThatMatters.