EY strengthens UK partnership with 103 new equity Partners

• This includes 65 Partners who have been promoted, and is the firm’s largest intake of homegrown talent in the last ten years
  
  
• 32% are women and 18% are from ethnic minority backgrounds

London, Wednesday 06 July 2021: EY is strengthening its UK Partnership with 103 new equity Partners – an increase of almost 60% compared to last year*. The new appointments reflect the firm’s increased investment in its sectors, service lines and regional business, including in areas such as, financial services, energy and sustainability, and technology, to better support clients at a time of unprecedented change and challenge in the UK and worldwide.

The new cohort includes 65 Partner promotions, which is the firm’s largest intake of home-grown talent in the last ten years, along with 38 external hires, taking EY’s overall number of Partners in the UK to 781. Of the new appointments, 32% are women and 18% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, including one Black Partner.

Over 20% of the new Partner appointments are based outside of London, reflecting EY's ongoing investment in its regional business. There were notable appointments in Reading, Glasgow, Southampton and Birmingham, where the firm is increasing its presence.

In 2019, EY set ambitious targets to double the proportion of female and ethnic minority partners in its UK business to 40% female and 20% from ethnic minority backgrounds by July 2025, as part of the firm's strategy to accelerate its progress on diversity and inclusiveness. EY went one step further in 2020, by announcing an additional target for 15% of ethnic minority Partners to be Black by 2025.

Currently, EY's UK partnership stands at 24% female and 13% from ethnic minority backgrounds, with 5% identifying as Black and Mixed-Black. Both female and ethnic minority percentages are up by one percentage point from 2020.

Hywel Ball, EY’s UK Chair, says: “I am thrilled to be welcoming this year’s new Partner appointments, especially our homegrown talent. These appointments reflect a significant investment in our people and our business as we build sustainable long-term growth.

“Creating a diverse and inclusive workforce continues to be a top priority, both at a Partner level and across the UK firm. While I am pleased with this year’s progress, the representation of women and ethnic minorities in our Partner population is not where we want it to be. Achieving our diversity goals is key to our future business growth and we are determined to accelerate the pace of change.”