Life on the road
Somewhere between making partner at 28, constant traveling, closing deals, and eating snakes, Deloitte Australia partner David Hill still finds time to watch “Thomas the Tank Engine” on television with his two sons.
How has traveling changed you?
It’s humbling. Traveling helps you realize your place in the world. You form a much different view when you see the many challenges going on around the globe.
Coming back to Adelaide after traveling through parts of Africa, I’ll never forget the time I saw someone kicking a photocopier in frustration over a paper jam. I remember thinking that in the scheme of what’s going on in the world, a paper jam isn’t worth getting wound up over.
Did you ever eat anything you never thought you would?
When I was in China I thought I was eating some sort of sausage, and found out later it was snake. And it didn’t taste like chicken.
With two young sons, how do you balance your schedule so that you can spend time with them?
I’m pretty ruthless when it comes to that. Unless it’s critical, I minimize weekend work time. Almost every weekend we’ll do something special with the kids.
It must be hard to leave them behind each morning. What makes you look forward to coming to work every day?
That’s a really easy question. I love that every day when I come into the office, I have no idea what I might end up doing. That might seem bizarre, but I embrace it.
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Global mobility
Right people, right place, right time—anywhere in the world
David Hill’s career journey began with an international assignment to London—and took off from there. By the age of 28, he was a partner in Deloitte Australia.
Global mobility is a priority for Deloitte member firm leadership—it’s directly linked to both the demands of the business and leadership goals. Deloitte member firm clients also expect that the organization can deploy talent wherever it is needed—quickly and efficiently.
Deloitte professionals want international work experience, and short- and long-term assignments abroad are increasingly a requirement for advancing to a leadership role in Deloitte member firms.
Early in his career, an international assignment landed Deloitte Canada professional Christian Jacques in the San Francisco office of Deloitte United States. There, he gained invaluable experience on the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley, which would later benefit him upon his return to Canada.
For Jacques, the decision to go abroad was an easy one. “Based on my discussions with colleagues who had completed international assignments, it became clear that going to San Francisco was an amazing opportunity to get the kind of experience that would support my career development in my home office,” he said.
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Targeting talent
David Hill reflects on the Young Partner Advisory Council
You were chosen as a member of the 2008 Deloitte Young Partner Advisory Council (YPAC) to present ideas on talent at this year’s World Meeting. How did it feel to be selected?
It was a career highlight. Through this experience, I’ve met so many people around the world, and it has really made me appreciate the Deloitte culture.
What did you take away from the experience?
Talent is the only way for an organization to achieve growth targets. You can never rest on your laurels and think that you’ve got the talent equation right because it’s changing with every new generation.
What talent strategy do you think organizations should follow?
Spend your time wisely—with the people who make up the organization. Understand them, understand their needs, and tailor your approach accordingly. Instead of thinking you have a tried and true pattern, you always have to keep working at it.
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