Renate van der Genugten (Monitor Deloitte) on her move to Australia
After spending close to five years with Monitor Deloitte in her home land the Netherlands, Renate van der Genugten – a Senior Consultant at the firm – was up for a new adventure. An office transfer brought her to Australia, where she has now been based in Sydney for the past nine months. “I can highly recommend it to everyone.”
In the Netherlands, Renate worked in the Business Model Transformation practice of Monitor Deloitte, the strategic consultancy outfit of professional services giant Deloitte.
“The practice focuses on a very interesting field of work: ensuring an organisation’s business model is aligned with the company’s future-strategy and commercial goals. The work is broad, diverse, and challenging, as we look at all parts of an organisation – from products and channels to the people and technology.”
Having worked on “all kinds of different clients in all kinds of industries” in the domain, Renate was keen to remain active in the Business Model Transformation practice. After exploring opportunities for working internationally, she quickly found out that Monitor Deloitte have an attractive office transfer policy in place.
“Monitor Deloitte is active worldwide, so there were opportunities across all corners of the globe,” says Renate. Why she picked Australia? “This country has a similar work culture as the Netherlands, my field of work has a similar maturity level and Sydney is a great city. It has the same vibrant vibe as New York, but with a beach nearby and a nature park just an hour away. So, the choice was easy.”
On the other side of the world
After making up her mind, Renate informed her team about her plans. The reception was positive, and “coincidentally, one of the partners in the team had worked in Sydney for some time” so Renate could leverage his contacts and experiences to hit the ground running.
“That’s a great advantage of working at a global organisation like Deloitte.”
Fast forward nine months, and Renate says that she is delighted with the move. Notably, she enjoys the challenging and high impact projects. “My role is similar to my work in the Netherlands. “I advise clients in the areas of strategy, business design and transformations – for instance, in the field of climate and sustainability topics. Clients can be governments and non-profit organisations, but also more traditional corporates.”
Her first project was helping Australian and Indian government agencies with the set up a bilateral innovation program for Australian and Indian start-ups. She currently is working on a strategy project for a non-profit healthcare organisation.
“The work I’m doing is pretty similar to in the Netherlands, but the market is different. Australia has a more national focus, while projects in the Netherlands are often more European or globally focused. But both teams are very international, with many expats.”
Renate also enjoys the lifestyle she’s experiencing down under. “The stereotypical image of an Australian heading to work in flip-flops with a surfboard under the arm is far from accurate,” Renate says. “Australians work hard. But outside of work, the vibe is always very relaxed. There are many outdoor gatherings, and we celebrate birthdays with a barbecue in the park or at the beach.”
A career booster
All in all, Renate is already confident that the experience will enrich her career, both professionally and personally. “A new country, a new culture, and a new way of working. Stepping out of your comfort zone, living, and working abroad for a while is really good for your development – I can highly recommend it to everyone.”
