Liliana Robu, financial service principal and consulting purpose leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP, encouraged Elon University students to stay motivated, work hard, and never underestimate the value of small tasks.
Business Fellow Anna Lippert ’25, a marketing major, and Executive in Residence David Goslin welcomed Liliana Robu to the LaRose Digital Theatre on March 26 for the Behind the Resume speaker series at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.
Robu, a financial services principal and consulting purpose leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP, now leads global client teams for the firm.
When she first joined Deloitte, Liliana was given what she described as one of the most pivotal challenges of her early career.
“My very first task at Deloitte was taking notes during a legal meeting with 200 lawyers from all around the world,” Robu said. “I didn’t understand a word—each one-hour call meant eight hours of research to decode their acronyms. But turning that chaos into a clear summary made the team depend on me and helped me establish my professional reputation.”
Over the next two decades, Robu led projects in 17 countries, including extended stints in Brazil and Japan. Each stop, she said, sharpened her ability to adapt. “In the U.S., we plan 10 percent and execute 90 percent; in Japan, it’s the opposite, and it works,” she said. “That experience taught me the power of patience, preparation, and cultural awareness.”
Robu credited much of her success to colleagues who recognized her potential and opened doors along the way. “Identify people who see a spark in you and are ready to invest in you—and be that person for someone else,” she advised.
To close, Robu reminded students that a professional path often zigzags. “Focus on what you can control,” she said. “It’s okay to not have everything figured out right away.”
