A message from leadership
At EY, we are a force for making positive, impactful change, and understand we have a powerful platform to take bold action. For decades we have worked to strengthen the foundation laid by our firm’s co-founder, Arthur Young, who as a young man with disabilities in the 1800s used his talent against the odds to become an entrepreneur and founder of the modern accounting profession.
Being a leader and driving actionable change — among our people and for our clients and communities — requires regular self-examination and a desire to learn and improve. Charting our progress is critical for accountability. We’ve seen progress over the last year on several metrics including representation of women and racially and ethnically diverse partners/principals, but we’ve also lost ground on other metrics. With the release of this year’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report, Building a more equitable working world, we continue to hold a mirror up to ourselves and, by extension, to our industry.
In our second annual report, you will find stories and data that demonstrate how we take action for equity within our firm and our communities. As the challenges and realities of the pandemic continue to impact us every day, we’re also focused on our own people. Helping them to thrive both personally and professionally is an essential part of fulfilling our long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusiveness, and it’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly.
In the face of increased social and political polarization, the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and seismic shifts in the labor market and the ways we work, we are dedicated to living our values. We will continue to be transparent in sharing our journey, including the challenges and the victories.
Candid collaboration within the professional services community will serve to accelerate change for our people, clients and communities as we build a more equitable working world together.