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In this issue
Spring/Summer 2011For the people of the U.S. Firms
Plus Fine fellows: Enhancing careers with new global program
What’s it like to run across the Sahara?
On the cover A mosaic of images
offers a glimpse at
the people and places
that make up Deloitte
U.S. India. The region
recently celebrated a
decade of operations.10+years in IndiaCelebrating incredible growth, opportunities and pride
Features3 Global positioningMeet five colleagues who worked closely with senior leaders on key cross-border initiatives. 9 Evolution of a region Deloitte U.S. India has moved from a cost-effective strategy to a region full of opportunity, diversity, innovation and pride.
Departments2 From the CEOJoe Echevarria offers his perspective. 20 My lifeMari-Anne Kehler’s drive to build a facility to help those with autism began at home. 23 Good deedsWhen an emergency occurs in Trumbull, CT, on a Wednesday night, Karl Klass is often the first to respond.
26 Fit for lifeFind out why running across the Sahara isn’t for the weekend warrior.
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Spring/Summer 2011 / Deloitte Life
From the CEO
A full interactive
version of Deloitte Life is available on DeloitteNet.
wwwTo everyone at Deloitte: One thing I’ve learned during my first few weeks as CEO is this: I will rarely have the pleasure and the privilege of addressing all of you at once. This new issue of Deloitte Life gives me an opportunity to do just that.
I’ve often wondered whether we should change the title of this magazine to “Deloitte Lives.” With 50,000 U.S. professionals who are part of a global
network of more than 170,000, our organization now reaches more places, more businesses and more lives than ever before.
The people who make up our great, diverse organization have a wide variety of interests, pursuits and passions. That is our strength: Deloitte today is a place where everyone can make a unique con-tribution to our success. And yet when it comes right down to it, we all share the same goals: to lead with client and business growth; innovate and make Deloitte an iconic brand; and set the standard for business performance.
We are now competing in a global marketplace, and that is the focus of this issue of Deloitte Life. Simply put, the work we do here at Deloitte every day now matters to people, clients and markets every-where. Our work plays a crucial role in serving the investor public and protecting capital markets, while providing high quality services to our clients. We are committed to leading the profession and leading in the marketplace. And we know that people, clients and markets will trust and respect our Deloitte brand to the extent we earn their trust and prove our leadership, in all that we do.
To see and seize the opportunities in the global marketplace, we continue to extend our reach and raise the performance bar. The cover story of this issue focuses on our U.S. operations in India, where we have now operated for 10 years. Looking back from this anniversary, it’s impressive to see how a region that began in a support capacity has evolved into a place that is home to thousands of col-leagues who are providing a full suite of services. In the article entitled “Global Positioning” you’ll meet the first five fellows chosen for the USGO Fellows Program, which offers high-performing professionals an opportunity to plan for their own careers, interact with senior leaders and participate in worldwide networking opportunities.
In India, in the U.S. and everywhere we operate, we are dedicated to leadership. That’s the full-time commitment Deloitte professionals make, 24/7, on the job or off. So in this edition, you’ll meet a marketing director for Tax who is leading an effort to improve the lives of autistic children and adults. You’ll discover what it takes to compete in an endurance event in the hot sands of the Sahara. And you’ll meet a colleague who has devoted one night a week for nearly 25 years to helping others when help is needed the most.
So as you read, think about how your leadership counts, and where your passions and pursuits can take you and our organization. And let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions for making this magazine about the Deloitte life you lead.
Regards,Joe Echevarria
Executive editor Peter KilmanManaging editors Lisa Nichols, Jeffrey WardEditor Darrell Spence
Contributors Jennifer Almeida, Sonia Amirah, DeNesha Andoh, Akanksha Bhargava, Subhamoy Das, Scott Fasnacht, Abhay Garg, Vikas Gupta, Abby Johnson, Pashupati Kumar, Kelly Langan, Chetan Mallik, Vinod Mavilla, Shiraz Munshi, Clement Nagle, Kevin Patterson, Rima Rajan, Archana Ramu, Deepika Sapra, Prathima Tharangini, Arun Thota
Send story ideas, comments and more to [email protected]. To submit an image for consideration as a Featured photo, e-mail high resolution, digital format (JPEG preferred) photographs to [email protected] with details of when and where the photo was taken (recent shots preferred).
www.deloitte.com/deloittelife
About Deloitte“Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Deloitte LLP is a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), a UK private company limited by guarantee. DTTL’s member firms are legally separate and independent entities. “Deloitte U.S. India (USI)” means the subsidiaries of Deloitte LLP located in India. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.
Copyright © 2011 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
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Spring/Summer 2011 / Deloitte Life
Good deeds
In case of emergencyFor more than 25 years, Karl Klass, an emergency medical technician, has provided help when it’s needed
She’s in cardiac arrest.” That was the diagnosis Karl Klass quickly made of a fellow patron at his favorite Italian restaurant not long ago. Without hesitation,
he began CPR on the woman, and he was able to resusci-tate her before the emergency squad arrived on the scene. Amid all the nice words and pats on the back he received from other diners, Klass was gratified that the training he began more than a quarter of a century ago had paid off once again. Every Wednesday night, Klass serves as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) in Trumbull, CT. It’s a role that provides a stark contrast to his career at Deloitte. As a “boomerang” who rejoined the organization in 2006, he leads the 56-person Independence Audit team that monitors the financial holdings of Deloitte’s client service professionals to help them maintain independence from Deloitte clients.
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Photo: Karl Klass enjoys helping others in times of crisis during his shift as an emergency medical technician in Trumbull, CT.
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Klass’ interests during his EMT shift are in the safety and well-being of victims. “I believe I have a real calling for helping people,” Klass says. “I’m told that I have a good bedside man-ner and a personality well-suited for this work. And it’s some-thing I really enjoy.”
Klass’ passion for helping others was forged at an early age. Growing up in the Ridgewood neighborhood in the borough of Queens, he dreamed of becoming a New York City firefighter. “My dad would take us to the Carvel for ice cream,” says Klass. “And we’d always visit the firehouse station of Engine 297 and Ladder 140 that was across the street.”
Years later, after enrolling at The King’s College, then in Westchester County, Klass joined the local volunteer fire de-partment in Briarcliff Manor, NY. It was there that he gained an interest in emergency medical services (EMS), primarily because it promised more action than the firefighters experienced in the sleepy suburbs. So in the spring of 1985, he completed the 120-hour certification class and became an EMT.
Klass, though, never lost his desire to become a professional firefighter in New York City. At one point, he thought about leaving college to pursue a full-time emergency service career. “But my dad suggested that I stay in school as a backup – just in case,” says Klass. “So I studied business and found I had an interest in accounting.”
It was probably a good thing that Klass followed his father’s advice, because a back injury during his senior year in college prevented him from taking the fire department’s agility test. “At first I was crushed,” he says. But shortly thereafter he received an offer to join Deloitte.
With the exception of a short break when his children were young, Klass has remained active as an EMT. As he has done for many years, Klass dedicates one night a week to his volunteer work. “It may not be for everyone,” he admits. “But for me, there’s a camaraderie and a brotherhood among the firefighters, police officers and EMTs that you can’t replicate in a corporate environment.”
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continued from previous page Photos: The scene in and around the Trumbull Emer-gency Medical Service building includes notes of thanks (next page - bottom, left) sent to Deloitte’s Karl Klass and other emergency medical techni-cians from people who’ve benefited from their assis-tance.
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Klass says he continues to learn and that advances in technology have trans-formed many things about the work EMTs can do. “The patient diagnostics we have today are remarkable,” says Klass. “We can do things now we never could before. The biggest difference I have seen over the years is the increase in help we’re able to provide on the scene.”
What doesn’t change, however, is the human element. Not every call ends with smiles and pats on the back. “You have to build a self-defense mechanism that keeps pain and death at a distance. It is the only way we can see what we see and not crumble emotionally,” says Klass. “It never seems to get any easier to find the words, ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ We stand alongside people as they grieve, sometimes holding their hand, treating their loved one with dignity, and waiting for a neighbor or family member to arrive. This wait is typically just a few moments, but it can feel like an eternity.”
Through it all – the situations that end well and those that do not – Klass recognizes that his work as an EMT enhances skill sets that have real benefit to his career. “In doing this kind of work you become accustomed to making quick and important decisions under stressful conditions,” he says. “You meet people from all walks of life and learn to relate to them in a way that puts them at ease. You need humility and lots of common sense. These are all things that apply well to a role in management.”
They are traits that define Klass’ devotion and success as an EMT. Whether it’s out on duty in Trumbull, or in the relative calm of a neighborhood restaurant, Klass brings professionalism and commitment to the people he serves in a mod-est and humble way. “It’s just my outlet, my way of giving back to the commu-nity,” he says. “I like helping people, and this is a tangible way of doing that.”
“You meet people from all walks of life and learn to relate to them in a way that puts them at ease. You need humility and lots of common sense. These are all things that apply well to a role in management.”
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