Q&A: Deloitte’s Nancy Millett (BSBA ’83)

Nancy Millett (BSBA ’83) and her husband, Mike.

Nancy Millett (BSBA ’83), global tax industry leader of consumer and industrial products and U.S. inbound services leader at Deloitte, serves on the UNC Kenan-Flagler Board of Visitors and actively recruits the School’s students to her firm. Read below for Millett’s insights on achieving success and giving back.

What is the best advice you would give to others – at any point in their career – to help them find success?
First, you have to define what success is for you. Everyone defines success differently, so you have to be sure you know what it really is that will make you happy. There is no reason to get caught up in what you hear someone else wants if that is not right for you.

Over your career, you will likely change your mind on what you want to do and how you will define success, so keep an open mind. As long as you like what you are doing and you have an opportunity to build on your experience, you are likely going to continue to have new opportunities and find success. Part of finding that success will also be as a result of trying new things – so be open to new opportunities.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
We all have a brand or something we are known for. The quicker you can determine what your strengths are and how they provide value to an organization, the better off you will be. If your strengths are not something that provides value to your organization or that the organization needs, you need to either leverage another of your strengths or find an organization that values what you can deliver.

Why did you – along with your husband, Michael – decide to document a planned gift to UNC Kenan-Flagler?
There are actually several reasons that I documented a planned gift.

The first is easy, I had decided long ago that I wanted to include a gift to UNC Kenan-Flagler in my estate planning because of the impact the School has had on me. I have given annually, so making a commitment for a final gift is part of a lifetime of giving.

I also wanted to document the gift because as a CPA and advisor, I have worked with a number of people who never documented their intentions. Their executors or families are left to decide what they think someone would have wanted them to do. It certainly is easier when your intentions are written down.

Lastly, I think it is important to lead by example. If there is even one more investment in UNC Kenan-Flagler that is made as a result of seeing another documented gift to the School, then my gift has done more for the School than what I can do alone.