Seema Pajula
Deloitte
New York, NY USA
"I tried to hide my diversity and my differences because I thought that was something that was going to hold me back. But that wasn’t the case—it was my own insecurities holding me back."
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Seema's work combines: Business, Numbers, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting
Northern Illinois University
Certification
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was raised by a single mother who emigrated from India to the U.S.
2.
As a child, I had lofty ideas for what I wanted to be when I grew up: a bus driver, the first female major league baseball player, the person who cured cancer, and even a shark researcher.
3.
I attended Northern Illinois University, where I started out pursuing my dreams of studying sharks and curing cancer, but eventually discovered I had an interest in business and accounting.
4.
Graduated with my bachelor’s degree in accounting and earned my certified public accountant (CPA) license.
5.
My first job out of college was working as a manager for Arthur Andersen & Co.—I worked there for six years until the company collapsed in 2002 as a result of the Enron scandal.
6.
After that, I began reevaluating my career but, with support from my former clients, I decided to continue working in this industry and got a job at Deloitte as an audit manager.
7.
In 2008, I made partner at the firm and, in 2016, I became the first woman of color to serve as the managing partner for Consumer & Industrial Products Industry group.
8.
In 2019, I became the consumer industry leader for all of the U.S. audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services at Deloitte.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You will never fit the mold of a partner in one of the largest professional services firms in the world.
How I responded:
I was told I wouldn't make it as a leader at the firm because they had never had a diverse woman in particular roles even though they knew I was the best candidate for the job. I eventually did get the role. You have to have a tough skin and be willing to work harder than everyone else. I've gained respect and support by pushing through this.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My mom immigrated from India and had an arranged marriage. She was also the first in her family to get a divorce, so I was raised by a single mother. She instilled the importance of education and hard work in me.
I was always a person who wanted to have a family, but trying to navigate this industry with a family was very difficult at times. Especially when you could be working 80 hour weeks. I leaned on the people around me for support.
You don't see a lot of diverse women in leadership roles in this industry. I would get interviewed for certain roles/promotions, but then told that I probably wouldn't get them. I became the first woman of color in several positions at my firm.
My husband and I both have really busy careers and we juggle that along with our role as the parents of two girls. Our kids grew up in daycare, which was not a popular choice for some of our family members. It's always tough, but worth it.
Growing up, we primarily lived in section 8 housing and struggled a lot financially. I knew I always wanted to be self-sufficient and financially stable, which is why I've made a lot of the choices that I have in regards to my career and family.
When I started in this industry, I would always look up and see people who grew up so different from me and I truly felt like I didn't belong. I tried to hide my diversity, just so I could belong. I had to change my mindset and get over insecurities.