Role models: Jean Delaney

The importance of a good mentor

I joined PwC straight from school at the age of 17. I had a very strong academic record both at school and in professional exams which brought me to the attention of the partners. I can’t remember a particular moment when becoming a partner became a career goal but I would always have been fairly driven to give my best.

I had a great mentor who I worked with for most of my career. He gave me excellent opportunities, pushed me to consider solutions to problems and provided a very encouraging environment. He also had a good sense of “keeping me out of harm’s way” and a very keen appreciation of what was important to me - he was particularly supportive around my maternity leaves. The mentoring continued after my admission to partnership and my joining the TLS leadership team.

Improving the representation of women leaders

I think we need to develop an appreciation that women often approach advancement in the corporate world differently. We will know we have made progress when we see women leading a lot more business units in PwC.