PwC's focus on people and personal development is what makes it distinctive
With a long list of hidden talents, Brian, joined us as a Manager in 2015 and is now a Business Architect Senior Manager in our Internal IT team. Here’s his story…
Tell us about your role
I’m a qualified Business Analyst in the Internal Technology team and in my role I work with our internal stakeholders to understand their business problems, define the requirements and then work with the technical team to transform that vision into a working solution that adds value to the business and meets stakeholders needs.
Our internal function has evolved over recent years to be data led which has been fundamental in driving various change initiatives across PwC including the introduction of new ways of working, and technologies to solve our clients important problems. It’s been at the forefront of change leading the rollout of various HR systems to all PwC territories, which support our internal Human Capital functions, and also to cloud based technologies such as Google for collaboration, Salesforce for opportunities and ServiceNow for customer relationship management services.
Aside from my day job, I’m also a Father to two wonderful children, I speak Portuguese having played Capoeira for 12 years, I’m a PADI Master Scuba Diver (only 2% of divers ever achieve this qualification) and I’m a DJ and play at parties, weddings and music festivals. When I can find any spare time, I also enjoy cycling and playing football.
And just when you thought I couldn’t possibly have any more passions and commitments, I’m also very passionate about S.T.E.M (Science Technology Engineering and Maths), Diversity and Inclusion and Mentoring, where I have taken part in various mentoring programmes (internal and external) involving enterprise challenges and mentoring students within secondary and tertiary education. As a technologist, I’m very interested in emerging technologies such as blockchain (crypto currency), augmented reality and IoT and what the future holds for us. I never stop as you can tell.
What makes PwC distinctive for you
Thankfully, PwC’s strong focus on recognising it’s employees' work/life balance through initiatives such as The Deal are very beneficial to me. It’s given me the opportunity to work flexibly, work in a pattern that suits my team and I, and to also be able to choose where I work. It means I’m able to spend more time with my family and to be able to do the things I love doing outside of work without feeling guilty.
There is a lot of support available at PwC. Opportunities to help advance my career have included both internal and external training opportunities and firm wide initiatives such as Digital Academies and the Digital Accelerator programme. My career coach has also been a pillar of support to my career development, helping to guide me through various stages and most recently through to promotion.
I have also been very fortunate to get involved in leadership opportunities within the firm, providing Thought Leadership on important societal issues to do with Diversity and Inclusion and I’ve taken part in a number of mentoring opportunities within the firm. The diverse and varied opportunities that have been available to me both on a project level and non-project level, have allowed me to grow and develop my career in many ways. I very much like the fact that at PwC there is a strong focus on developing its people. And it’s also PwC’s focus on societal issues such as mental health, disability and race which distinguishes it from competitors and makes it a great place to work.
The tragic death of George Floyd was a seismic shift in the world and one of PwC UK’s responses to tackle racial injustice and support our Black colleagues was the creation of a Staff Diversity Council (SDC). This council represents the views and opinions of different communities across the firm. My proudest moment was chairing a livestream a year on from George Floyd’s murder, alongside Senior Partners - Kevin Ellis, Albertha Charles and Johan Jegerajan, where we looked back on the impact we’ve achieved through various actions and commitments in order to move the dial and continue to create a more inclusive and tolerant workplace for all to thrive.
PwC is a well respected, global organisation. Working here will enhance your skills and hopefully provide the confidence to succeed in a corporate business-led environment. If you’re looking for somewhere to start your career, or continue your personal development, then PwC could be that place for you. The focus on people and personal development is what makes it distinctive. You are given the opportunity to take the lead in your career.
Discover where your skills could take you - explore opportunities today
