Madelaine Byrne

Please tell us a bit about yourself…

Hi, I’m Maddy. I’ve grown up in Melbourne and spend my free time socialising with friends and family, typically over a great meal! I’ve had a job since the day I was allowed to work as a teenager, and I believe it’s the social aspect of meeting and working with new people which drives my enjoyment of work every day!

 

What about your journey in the Automotive industry – what roles did you have along the way, and where has it brought you now?

My first corporate job was at General Motors Holden, completing a cadetship in my penultimate year of university. My role was in their finance team, and within the same year worked on the opening and closure of Opel in Australia. This was my introduction to the Automotive industry, and I took a keen interest from then on.  

Since then, I have been working at Deloitte in the Motor Industry Services team, originally spending five years providing audit and compliance services to dealer groups across Australia and for a short time, the UK.  

Just over two years ago I transitioned into the advisory side of the Motor Industry Services team, as I thoroughly enjoyed working with clients to help them solve strategic problems and work on improving their business.  

What do you love most about the Automotive Industry? Why does it ignite your passion so much?

There are two things I like most… 

Firstly, I love the intricate and unique nature of the industry. It drives me to understand more of how the automotive eco-system works together and how it could be refined into the future.  

Secondly, I also really enjoy the reach of the industry. Everyone uses a car, or requires transport, and these methods of transport are always changing, and will continue to do so into the future.  

It’s interesting to work with clients to understand how they can evolve for the future, operate at their best and provide exceptional service to their customers. 

 

What do you think will be the biggest change we’ll notice in the evolving Automotive industry over the next 5-10 years?

I think there will be two; 

Firstly, development of new technologies and the pace of current / future developments will see strong investment in electric vehicles, and faster uptake across the industry.  

Secondly, customer buying preferences, and the relationships with customers. We will see this change in different elements of the industry, including customers buying online, and Dealers’ and OEMs’ collection and understanding of customer data to help them better understand their customer needs and adapt accordingly. 

These provide great opportunities for Dealers and OEMs to not only change how they do business to maximise customer experiences, but also to improve their own operations. 

 

How do you see Deloitte playing a role in navigating and shaping this change? 

The beauty of Deloitte is that we have SMEs and specialists across such a broad range of topics that can bring a broad wealth of knowledge to our clients. With a Global pool of Automotive Specialists and the ability to engage with individuals and teams both nationally and globally, we are positioned to assist our clients in almost every aspect of their business.  

It’s a part of Deloitte I love, and it brings great pleasure to be able to connect our clients with the right people within Deloitte. 

 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? i.e. what makes you ‘you’? 

As briefly mentioned above, outside of work I do love spending my time with friends and family, and with lockdowns easing it’s great to have more of that to look forward to! Cooking, particularly baking, I’m enjoying more and more… especially when there’s people to share it with.