Irina Dell came to Germany over 20 years ago to study business administration. Her plan to return to her home country afterward with her knowledge and experience didn’t pan out: As a student, she got to know and love her new home, her future husband, and the audit practice at EY. Since then, she has built an impressive career and is passionately committed to supporting young women.
Irina, when you first arrived at the University of Applied Sciences in Giessen at a young age, you imagined your future would be very different. Today, we’re talking to you as a partner, digital leader, and mentor. What has happened in the meantime?
That’s true—things turned out a little differently than planned. But sometimes you just have to take a chance when you know it’s the right thing to do, right? It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to stay in Germany after finishing my studies. I first came into contact with EY’s audit practice during a workshop. I was thrilled by the work and the opportunities, and after graduating, I joined the EY office in Cologne as an assistant. I’ve been here for over 16 years now and have actually worked my way through every career level. EY has also actively supported my professional development. In 2010, with time and financial support from my employer, I passed the tax advisor exam, and my son was born shortly thereafter. During my parental leave, I prepared for the next step: the certified public accountant exam.
Was career and family never an “either-or” for you?
I definitely wanted to have both, but at the same time I didn’t want to feel like a hamster on a wheel. That’s why, after my parental leave, I started out working part-time—even though I was already in a management position. That wasn’t a problem for anyone: My team knew when I was working and when I wasn’t, and they fully supported me. I was encouraged to continue, and I always felt I had the same opportunities as my male colleagues. Today, my son is a teenager, I’m a single parent, and I’m working full-time again—but flexibility is still very important to me. And I get that here.
In addition to your professional work, do you have a subject close to your heart?
Oh yes. I’m passionate about supporting women—both my own female colleagues and female founders who want to grow their businesses. Part of the reason for this is that I myself have had great mentors at every stage of my career at EY. If you want to achieve something, I think it’s important to learn from those who have already reached the place you want to go. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and that’s why I want to pass it on.
That sounds exciting! Can you tell me more about it? What kind of programs are they, and what exactly do you do?
One of them is the “Woman Mentoring Program” here in our auditing department. Its motto is: “Empowered women empower women.” I mentor young female colleagues for an entire year through one-on-one mentoring sessions and work with them on a wide range of topics, such as improving their visibility, building on their strengths, fostering leadership skills, and balancing career and family life. I also let my colleagues look over my shoulder to give them an authentic glimpse into my day-to-day life as a partner. The second program I’m actively involved in is called “EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women.” Through this program, EY consciously invests in women who don’t work for us—a great initiative, in my opinion. I’ve served as a mentor three times already, supporting female founders and entrepreneurs from various industries—for example, as a sparring partner for business challenges or an advisor on a wide range of career topics. By the way, I discovered triathlons about a year and a half ago and have since become a multiple Ironman finisher. I can also share many lessons I’ve learned from sports with my mentees.
That’s great, Irina. Have you seen any results yet? And is that what motivates you to keep going?
Absolutely! It makes me incredibly proud to see how these talents develop. I’m constantly impressed by how these young colleagues rise to new heights. It’s the same with the female entrepreneurs: some have discovered new lines of business, while others have expanded their product portfolios and entered the international market after participating in the mentoring program. Of course, it’s wonderful when I can inspire and encourage others. Ultimately, though, it’s not the career path someone has taken that inspires others, but rather the person who took it. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to me to treat others with an open ear, flexibility, trust, and as equals. That’s how I can be the best role model. And, of course, I benefit from this myself: I get to meet truly powerful women from whom I can also learn. I remain very closely connected with many of them even after their respective mentoring programs have ended.
Would you like to get in touch with Irina Dell? Then why not connect with her on LinkedIn!
About the author
EY
Die globale EY-Organisation ist ein marktführendes Unternehmen in den Bereichen Wirtschaftsprüfung und Steuerberatung sowie Strategy and Transactions und Consulting.
