Known as one of the “big four” consulting firms of the world, and global professional services organization with the largest and most diverse portfolio, Deloitte is one of the most far-reaching organizations of the current time. With an unquestionable commitment to quality, integrity, and excellence, and over 177 years of work history, Deloitte’s steadfast commitment to making a difference in the world continues to grow in scale and diversity.
Deloitte spans more than 415,000 professionals in more than 150 countries. Within its vast footprint, Patricia Muricy, has delivered various projects related to enterprise risk management, compliance, internal controls, and internal audit, as well as health and safety for a remarkable 25 years. “We work globally to bring the best of Deloitte to our clients and make an impact that matters to our people, our clients, and the community,” she says.
Patricia heads the Energy, Resources, and Industrials for Deloitte Brazil and is the Global Mining and Metals leader for the Risk Advisory practice. She also serves as a member of Deloitte’s Brazilian Board while also being responsible, globally, for the relationship with major strategic clients. Not to mention she is recognised as one of the leading women in the international mining industry.
An Extraordinary Consultant
Ever since a young child, Patricia always portrayed a genuinely curious outlook, always wanting to learn more. By the age of 22, she had acquired a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and had gathered a couple of years of experience in IT support. Thereafter Patricia pursued a year in a computer programming course which taught her people management skills and started honing her logical system thinking skills.
“But I’ve always wanted to learn more. I wanted a career that would keep me motivated and challenged, out of my comfort zone. I found that in Consulting.” shares Patricia. She started her career with a large multinational professional services firm based out of Rio de Janeiro where she found the training, support, and challenge she was looking for. “I had the opportunity to work in different locations, with different clients in different industries, spent a couple of years working overseas, learned about different cultures, religions, and traditions, met different people, and made new friends for life,” she mentions.
Eventually transitioning to Deloitte, Patricia’s resilience, and dedication to making the world a better place pushed her up the ladder to where she stands poised today as a global business leader. She says, “I am built for challenges and I get great satisfaction in solving our clients’ problems. What I like most about my job is being able to help organizations transform their operations, and find new solutions that change their realities.”
Throughout her journey from a curious child to a revered industry leader, Patricia attributes her success to her father who always told her that women should work and be financially independent, and to her husband who introduced her to the mining industry in the first place. She remains thankful for coming across other great leaders who guided her and gave her advice, as well as all her clients, who she has had the pleasure of working with.
Outside of work, Patricia looks forward to spending time with her family and three kids. She enjoys spending time with them, traveling, and exploring new places and cultures. “I also love watching films and documentaries on historical events and have plans to enrol in an art history course in the future,” she mentions.
Champion of Change
Often regarded as a male-dominated industry, Patricia has noticed how the scales are slowly tipping with more and more companies setting clear targets for women in leadership positions. Fulfilling these positions is not always easy, and even when a mining company is successful, retaining women has proven to be an even greater challenge, as very few companies actually review their internal processes and procedures to be more inclusive. “If there is no inclusion, this task is like rolling a stone uphill,” states Patricia.
Even at the board level, most companies look for experienced mining engineers, not necessarily looking at individuals with previous experiences in other similar industries. “If you only focus on mining experience, you’ll be limiting your search and not looking beyond what mining really means to people, countries, and our future,” Patricia opines.
And then at mine sites, the challenges for women are even bigger. From not having appropriate PPE, and living arrangements, and dealing with harassment, mines have traditionally proved to be a daunting place for women. Today, most mine companies are working to remove the barriers and change the culture not only because this is the right thing to do, but because there is real value in doing so.
A champion for women in business, Patricia feels that not enough women have a voice and challenge the status quo. “There must be a minimum representation to make a difference,” she states. “I believe women in mining have an obligation to share their stories, bring empathy, and help other women along the way. At Deloitte we promote women in mining discussion forums, we have DE&I programs for our teams, and provide training academies for clients.”
"If you want to have long-term success, being trustworthy, putting your client’s interest first, and giving your true opinion, even if that means you won’t achieve your short-term goals is what builds long-lasting relationships"
Creating Leaders of Tomorrow
Having worked and dealt with scores of individuals over her fruitful career, Patricia has developed her own unique leadership style. She believes that modern leaders need to take time to understand each individual in the team and make sure they have assignments that bring out the best of them. “Set a path where they can thrive. Give them the credits when due. Because in the end, at the client or in the firm, it’s all about people,” states she.
With changing times and work culture, Patricia has noted that the younger generation wants a purpose in life, something that she is dedicated to bringing to her team. “Sure, money is an important aspect, but they also want to fill that purpose/legacy gap,” she says. Even though most companies still assess performance and reward employees based on old values, such as a higher bonus to retain talent, to Patricia a sense of belonging, purpose, and being included and valued contributes more to employee satisfaction nowadays than a large bonus. “Companies need to be ready for the change. Leaders need to bring vision and serenity. They need to absorb the pressure that comes from all sides and provide psychological safety to the team,” states Patricia.
One of the things Patricia feels most proud of is developing young professionals and seeing them become the best versions of themselves. “Nothing can be more rewarding than seeing a professional you hired as a trainee, master a client presentation and be ready for the next challenge. Or that person who was about to quit, regain their strength and shine,” she states.
Trust Yourself and Each Other
Consultants are often perceived as someone who is trying to sell services at all costs. And while like all businesses, consultants have performance metrics to achieve, what differentiates the trendsetters like Patricia from the rest is the relationships they forge with their stakeholders. “If you want to have long-term success, being trustworthy, putting your client’s interest first, and giving your true opinion, even if that means you won’t achieve your short-term goals is what builds long-lasting relationships,” she states.
To other women either in the mining industry or thinking about getting into it, Patricia says “Go for it… Sometimes it’s hard for those who love you to encourage you to pursue a career seen as hostile for women. They just don’t want you to get hurt. But things are changing, and mining needs diversity to be safer and healthier. And the society needs mining to be able to achieve a more sustainable low-carbon future.”
