A New Day with Deloitte

2021 > America

Four years ago, my family and I rolled into North Carolina unhoused, unemployed, and unhappy after my Philippine dream job fiasco. There is nothing quite like losing your job, house, car, and school, and then fleeing a country to put you into a professional funk.

Then my wife found at job at Duke, I found a job at IntraHealth International, and the world started to right itself. We quickly had a home, a community, schools, and a life we could be proud of again. I give huge credit to the IntraHealth family for our warm welcome to Chapel Hill.

I’d like to personally thank the entire organization and specifically the Digital Health team past and present, including Ally, Amy, Dana, Caitlin, Godwin, Muluken, Nigel, Nobert, Pierre, and Richard (and Brian, David, Emily, Gerard, and Luke), for over four great years in global health with fond memories and deep learning.

It’s with both a touch of sadness and great excitement that I’m starting on a new chapter in my career.

A New Day with Deloitte

Starting tomorrow, I’ll have a senior leadership role on the Deloitte for Development team, supporting the digital transformation of USAID and other international donors. I will be focused on integrating innovative digital solutions into economic development, government, health, and supply chain ecosystems.

This is an awesome opportunity for me to expand ICT4D approaches across Deloitte and with it’s implementation partners.

It will certainly be a change for me. After 17 years at the senior manager/director role in mission-driven international nonprofit organizations, I’ll now be going back into a corporate for-profit partnership. I’m still in a mission-driven division, yet there is already a palatable cultural difference and a domestic USA focus.

I am particularly intrigued by one aspect of that focus – the prospect of working on the other 99% of the Federal budget. I’ve always been amazed at the scale of our foreign assistance budget, but it is still just 1% of Federal outlays.  Add in domestic State and Local government, and USAID looks tiny in comparison.

Of course, there are many challenges (and opportunities!) when you assess digital solutions for rural America or rural Uganda. My heart and my efforts are with international development, yet there is a certain sense of accomplishment when you can localize your efforts to your own country.

A Special Thanks to You

I did not succeed in this transformational journey by myself. No way! I was lucky enough to have the insight, encouragement, and support of my family, friends, and over 50+ peers with whom I conducted informational interviews to gain an understanding of the ICT4D landscape. It is only through all of them that I found my success.

For anyone else who is (or wants to be) part of the “Great Resignation” this year: good luck. In addition to 50+ informational interviews, I followed up on countless leads and applied for 40+ jobs – half of which ghosted me without a reply, even after 3rd round interviews! There will be several low points in your journey, like in mine. Yet rewards to accrue to those who persevere.