1. The Rise of Deloitte’s First Corporate Influencer”

She sat at her dining table in Berlin, her phone in one hand, her heart pounding.
She had just shared a post about her 101-year-old grandfather, a simple, honest story about legacy, curiosity, and how he asked her: “What’s this car-sharing you speak of?”

She didn’t expect it to change her life.
But within days, that post had reached 350,000 people, and would soon change how Deloitte thought about marketing, storytelling, and the human face of enterprise.

2. The Journey Begins: From Analyst to Influencer

Lara Sophie Bothur joined Deloitte Germany in February 2021 as a business analyst in their innovation consulting division. 

A year later, after publishing that post about her grandfather, a Deloitte partner called her:

“Do this full-time.”

Thus, Deloitte created a brand-new role: Voice for Innovation, later rebranded (publicly) as Corporate Influencer.

Her mandate?

• Translate technical work (AI, quantum, cloud, smart mobility) into human stories.
• Build Deloitte’s brand through genuine, personal content, not just PR statements.
• Attend events, moderate panels, network, and become a bridge between inside-the-firm expertise and outside-the-world audiences.

3. The Breakout Moment & Acceleration

That one viral post was the spark. But Lara’s influence didn’t stop there. Over time, she:

• Reached 400 million+ impressions globally
• Helped generate $13 million in marketing value for Deloitte 
• Even helped land a cloud transformation project, simply because a client saw her content, they hadn’t known Deloitte partnered with Google Cloud until they saw her post.

Media outlets caught on. Business Insider ran a piece titled “I created a brand new job at Deloitte: corporate influencer” chronicling her rise.
Forbes called her a “blueprint for global corporate influencers,” highlighting how she blends personal brand and corporate mission.

4. Scaling Influence, Beyond One Person

Lara’s work did more than elevate her own voice, it changed Deloitte’s internal philosophy.

Today, Deloitte Germany has 250 employees participating as part-time corporate influencers.
She even ran internal workshops, teaching employees how to use LinkedIn effectively, telling stories around their work and teams, and amplifying voices across the firm.

She didn’t just build her brand, she built a movement inside an already established global brand.

5. Obstacles, Criticism & Balance

Becoming a public voice inside a large firm has its challenges:

Some media outlets accused her of buying followers and engagement. Lara responded by leaning on data and credibility, Deloitte’s audit standards helped validate her transparency. 

She carefully balances personal voice and corporate responsibility: she avoids controversial politics or religion, keeps her content aligned with values, and gives spotlight to others. 

Privacy is a concern. As a public face, a corporate influencer must manage scrutiny, criticism, and the weight of representing a bigger brand.

6. Transition to Freelance & Broader Influence

At the start of 2025, Lara began taking freelance opportunities (speaking, moderating, consulting) and officially left her full-time role at Deloitte. Yet she continues collaborating with Deloitte while growing her influence globally, working with clients like SAP, Meta, and more.

Her move proves that corporate influence isn’t a compartment, it’s a career path.

7. What Founders, Hustlers & Companies Can Learn

Here are the strategic lessons buried in Lara’s journey:

If even traditional, risk-averse firms like Deloitte can institutionalize corporate influencers, the barrier to entry is lower than you think.

Closing Reflection & Call to Action

Lara Sophie Bothur’s story is more than a headline, it’s proof that the future of corporate visibility is personal.

If you’re a founder, a hustler, or a professional struggling to get seen, you don’t need a bigger budget.
You need a truer voice.

So:

Who in your company deserves a mic?

What story is waiting inside your work, untold, unseen?

And if you’d like help building your own “corporate influencer strategy,” I’d love to brainstorm with you.