I
left the workforce in 2001 after a successful 17-year career in
financial services sales, marketing, and operations, when my partner
accepted an overseas executive work assignment in Paris. I wasn’t
allowed to work for pay in France due to normal visa restrictions, so I
did volunteer and pro-bono consulting work. I returned to NY in 2005
and after 18 months networked my way back into the workforce in 2006 as a
Senior Vice President with Citigroup, indirectly through the inaugural
“Back in Business” program at Dartmouth University Tuck School of
Business, where Carol Fishman Cohen was a guest speaker.
I left the workforce again in 2009. Citigroup eliminated my position
along with countless others during the financial crisis, but thanks to
the 2009 iRelaunch Conference, I quickly networked my way to my dream
job leading D&I for a large global financial services firm.
Ultimately, I made the choice to decline the offer and instead moved to
Houston where my partner had accepted a senior role with a new company
earlier that year.
Instead of seeking full-time employment, I resumed independent
consulting, nursed my partner through a health crisis, and built a
contemporary house – our dream home. That career break ended in 2012
with the unexpected end of the relationship with my partner, leaving me
homeless and single for the first time in 30 years. I nursed my broken
heart for two months while doing more pro-bono consulting work, passed
on an opportunity to live and work in Singapore. Instead, I accepted a
full-time six-month contract assignment with Barclays in New York for
nothing close to what I knew I was worth, but I knew I had to start
somewhere. I chose to live in Sea Bright, New Jersey, but became
homeless again because of Hurricane Sandy, and moved to friends’ sofa in
Manhattan for two months until I could find an apartment.
When the Barclays assignment ended as planned, I networked my way to
three interviews and three job offers in less than three months. The
position I accepted – as chief-of-staff to the CEO of a privately held
family-owned company – lasted less than two years. From there, I
leveraged my network to ultimately get an outstanding offer with a great
organization – Deloitte. It took meetings with several different
Deloitte leaders over a few months, and was well worth the wait.
I am very proud to be with Deloitte. It is an organization that shares
my values and doesn’t shy away from taking a stand on issues. That’s
important to my colleagues and me. I learned quickly that Deloitte is
filled with nice, smart people, doing great work. The Deloitte culture
is the best in which I have ever worked. The organization genuinely
cares for everyone’s well-being. Deloitte demonstrated that by putting a
supportive structure in place well before COVID, increased its focus on
physical, emotional and mental well-being
throughout the pandemic, and continues to do so today. I am one of
hundreds of Deloitte US employees who are trained as “Well-Being
Wizards” to bring well-being best practices into Deloitte’s businesses
and engagement teams.
And the fact that Deloitte has an Encore Program
illustrates their support for people like me who have taken career
breaks but still have so much to offer. I had two other opportunities
through my network during prior career breaks to connect with Deloitte,
but never actively pursued them. I thought “I am not a CPA” and did not
see myself there. Was I wrong.
When I joined Deloitte in 2015, it was as a Senior Manager in the Global
Employer Services practice for Deloitte Tax, LLP (“Tax”). I was an
experienced hire, and my executive-level project management skills, and
my maturity had appeal and applicability. I have used and continue to
use every skill I acquired throughout my career, and pay it forward by
coaching and mentoring colleagues.
I joined an internationally diverse integrated team that helps
multi-national organizations comply with the various tax and regulatory
obligations related to employee total rewards & global mobility
programs, manage international assignments efficiently and cost
effectively, while aligning these employee programs with business and
talent strategies. During my tenure in Tax, I led global programs
focused on business development and client retention, and also ran the
Global Management Office for a large, complex client. I even had the
opportunity to work for a client as a PMO to operationalize a start-up
from “zero to go”.
And where did I end up after those two months on a sofa?
I am healthy and happily reside in an apartment in New York City’s
Chelsea neighborhood. I appreciate living nearer to my family in New
Jersey than I have for most of my adult life, as my parents age and my
brothers’ children now have children of their own. I spend time outside
of work cycling, including Citibike as my “go to” mode of
transportation, sharing meals with friends, and relishing how much fun
it is to live in New York City, even if I’m no longer single.
It’s been quite ride, but I am filled with gratitude for where I landed.
Click here for a profile of Cathy.
Did this story motivate you or inspire you!?
Do you have a relauncher success story of your own to share with us and the rest of the relauncher community?
Sharing your inevitable success is a great way to give back as your story will inspire and motivate other relaunchers, especially if your story is not the typical story that is told.
It is our hope that all relaunchers are able to see themselves reflected in relauncher success stories as we all know how important representation is. We respectfully ask you to share only the details of your relaunch you are comfortable sharing, but to indeed share your story with us so we can be sure to document and feature a more diverse population of relauncher experiences, background and identities.
