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EY Alumni Spotlight: Sadaf Parvaiz — EY Toronto, 2001-21

EY
EY Canada

Multidisciplinary professional services organization

5 minute read 05 Jul. 2022
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After 20 years with EY, almost 15 of them in the Americas Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness (DE&I) Office, Sadaf Parvaiz took her deep experience and passion for DE&I to GHD, a leading global engineering and architectural organization. She shared with us her thoughts on how much she learned during her time with EY and why DE&I is so important in today’s working world.

In brief

  • Sadaf Parvaiz joined global engineering/architecture firm GHD.
  • Created its Inclusion & Diversity function from scratch.
  • Rolled out GHD’s 3-year strategy.

What led you to EY in the first place?

I was lucky enough to be recruited as an audit intern and attended EY’s world-renowned Intern Leadership Conference. I still have such great memories and friendships that were formed in those early years at EY. That's probably why I stayed for close to 20 years! 

Who stood out to you as a mentor or influence during your time at EY? 

I have been so grateful to have had mentors from across EY at various points in my career. Whether it was during my days in audit or my time in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team, I learned from so many, both formally and informally. Over 20 years it's very hard to name them all.  

Sadaf Parvaiz 

 

Global Enterprise Inclusion and Diversity Leader, GHD

Some mentors who stand out are Amy Munichiello, Maryella Gockel, Lynn Wilson, Fiona MacFarlane, Billie Williamson, Karen Wensley and Jeannine Pereira. I forged some personal relationships with many like Muriam De Angelis, Emily Kameros, Samreen Kidwai, Nicole Felix, Casey Monnerjahn, Michele Geist and many more. I want to thank Mark Vrooman, who hired me and asked the coolest interview questions, and Karyn Twaronite, who promoted me while I was on maternity leave.  

How did EY help shape your career journey and what is the most valuable lesson you learned while working at EY?

My EY experience has impacted my career in so many ways. I grew as a human and as a professional, and even met my husband at EY! So I would say EY was pretty life changing. I love that I was able to change roles in the organization and get global experience by working with colleagues across the world on large-scale projects that impacted so many of our people. The opportunity to collaborate with some of the world's leading professionals and gain so many interesting learning opportunities and having such a powerful network was invaluable. 

The most valuable lesson I learned while working at EY was that the process is sometimes just as important as the final product. How you go about delivering a project or service can impact the adoption and outcome. So make sure you think about how you will go about getting the job done and who else should be included. 

How EY can help

Tell us about your current role and what makes it most energizing or challenging.

 

So much of the experience and knowledge I gained through my years at EY prepared me for this role at GHD. GHD is an engineering, architecture and construction firm. I currently lead the Inclusion & Diversity function around the world. There are over 200 offices globally and over 11,000 employees. I created the function from scratch and recruited an amazing team, and have just rolled out our three-year strategy.

It’s very exciting to take my experience from EY and be able to apply it in a new context and help accelerate GHD’s I&D journey. It’s also great that diversity and inclusion is high on the board's agenda, so I know they are serious about making change.

The challenging part was that I took this role during COVID and only recently stepped into a physical office at GHD. So developing those relationships, especially across time zones, took extra effort, especially when speaking to leaders in Australia! 

 

You went from a firm that’s committed to building a better working world to an organization that literally builds. Do you see any parallels between EY and GHD in their approach to DE&I and community support?

 

I love that GHD and the work we do here has the ability to impact people each and every day. How a building is designed or how building a bridge can connect communities, or our approach on future energy can really change people’s experience. Through inclusive design, construction and community engagement, our work can literally change and preserve the world we live in. So there's a parallel there around building a better world. 

 

Why is DE&I such an important field in today’s landscape and what are some the key trends leading the path for change are right now?

 

I think DE&I has always been important and the challenges were always there. The difference in today’s landscape is that the workforce, consumers, investors and society at large are bringing the topic to public discourse and are demanding that we all do better and address inequities both inside and outside the workplace.

EY was on this journey before it was trending and I definitely carry that experience with me.

Sadaf Parvaiz

Global Enterprise Inclusion and Diversity Leader, GHD

People are surprised when they learn how long I’ve been in the DE&I space. But EY was on this journey before it was trending and I definitely carry that experience with me. One of the trends I see that has changed over the years is that now organizations can't simply focus on internal initiatives that impact their employees, but they also need to be aware of external events and global factors that impact their people and create a safe place to discuss and find ways to support. Retaining top talent is also a challenge in this market, and DE&I can be a big factor in improving retention.

What advice would you give the younger you when you were setting out on your career journey?

I would say don't be afraid to raise your voice and share your ideas. Now that I am further in my career, I have gotten some of the best ideas and advice from people who were junior to me. So leaders should create the opportunities and listen more. And our younger people shouldn't feel that lack of experience means their ideas aren't valuable. Often it’s that new and fresh perspective that isn't tied to how things have always been done that can lead to breakthroughs and create the biggest impact.

Summary

Stay tuned for more EY alumni spotlights in future issues of the Alumni Digest. Sign up and create a profile on our Alumni Portal to be added to our mailing list and not miss out on future updates. 

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    EY
    EY Canada
    Multidisciplinary professional services organization
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