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Connect
Article heading
The magazine for EY alumni
Vol. 7 | Issue 2
How will
you forge
your legacy?
Our alumni —
and their legacy —
feature prominently in the
evolution of EY’s purpose
The great work you did at EY is never forgotten — it
continues as part of our mission to build a better working
world. Stay connected at ey.com/alumni
© 2015 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. ED0616
When you leave
a firm, does the
firm have to
leave you?
We’ve got a
question for you …
Stephen R. Howe, Jr.
U.S. Chairman and Managing Partner
Americas Managing Partner
@SteveHoweEY
There’s nothing I like better than a really good
question. Maybe it’s the accountant in me. I enjoy
the process of dissecting the question, breaking the
puzzle down, and then seeing the big picture take
shape. Mostly, I love how a good question leads to
opportunity, innovation and change.
A question I’ve been hearing more often — and
it comes from our clients, the marketplace and
especially our recruits and new hires — is, “What is
EY’s purpose … what do we stand for?”
I’m always happy to reply: at EY, our purpose
of Building a better working world is the bedrock
of everything we do. It’s central to our culture and
organization. It has been since I joined and long
before that, too. In 2013, we formalized that purpose
in words, and — so strongly did we believe in it —
attached it to our name as our tagline.
Now, two years later, we’re working to more
fully articulate what Building a better working world
means and looks like. We’re convinced that better
questions lead to better answers, which help the
world work better. That’s why our brand is evolving
to make thoughtful, probing, even challenging
questions part and parcel of our purpose. In the
following pages, you’ll hear from Barbara Davies
and John Rudaizky, our two top brand leaders,
about this evolution and its alumni connection.
Also in this issue, we talk with my good friend
(and former boss) Jim Turley, EY’s immediate past
Global Chairman and CEO. Jim reflects on his 12
years as chairman, what he has come to expect from
firms that provide professional services to corporate
boards and what it feels like to be an alumnus.
We also talk with alumni Joan Amble,
Laura Bishop, Myron Galchutt, Vaughn Reynolds
and Rick Walleigh, who are having a tremendous
impact from the boardroom in the US to a piggery
in Swaziland. And I think you’ll really enjoy learning
about Father Joe Previte, an alumnus who followed
a different calling.
So now, in the spirit of asking better questions,
I ask: how are you helping to build a better working
world — in your business, for the profession, in
your community? We’d like to hear about it at
#BetterQuestions.
Thank you again for all you do on behalf of EY.
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 1 In this issue
04
Turning
the
page
On the cover
EY’s immediate past Global
Chairman and CEO Jim Turley
feels right at home in his
native St. Louis. In this issue,
Jim reflects on his 36 years
at EY, including 12 as Global
Chairman. He also talks about
life in retirement, which, for
Jim, includes serving on four
major corporate boards and as
many not-for-profits. And he also
reveals the secret of his success:
just being himself.
08
12
22
32
2 alumni.ey.com
26
36
38
15
18
30
Features
08
Acting on purpose
Connect
The magazine for EY alumni
Vol. 7 | Issue 2
Editor-in-Chief: Jeff Anderson
Managing Editor: Jay Seither
EY is evolving its brand to further articulate our purpose of Building a
better working world — and there’s a strong alumni connection.
Writers: Tanya Hart, Anne Lampert, Jay Seither,
Eboni Thomas
12
Contributing Editor: Ellen Lask
Empowering W.O.M.E.N.
Former American Express executive Joan Amble learned not to be afraid to
“raise my hand” on her way up the corporate ladder. So she co-founded an
organization that mentors and coaches promising mid-career women.
15
The power of purpose
Advisory is the fastest-growing practice at EY. We talk to Americas practice
leader Bob Patton about how EY’s purpose — Building a better working
world — is fueling that growth.
18
Laura Bishop
As CFO of USAA, Laura takes deep pride in being a part of an
organization that serves more than 10 million men and women
in uniform and their families.
22
Rising to the challenge
Learn about two EY programs designed to attract underrepresented
minorities to EY and then keep them here — and find out what the leaders
of those programs ask of our alumni.
26
From EY to Swaziland
After high-powered Silicon Valley careers, retired partner Rick Walleigh
and his wife, Wendy, went to Africa to use their business skills to help fight
poverty — and they urge other retired execs to do the same.
30
Soul man
After 14 years at EY, senior manager Joe Previte became Father
Joe Previte. Find out why.
32
Building for the future
Real estate executive and Orange County Alumni Council member
Myron Galchutt has a passion for developing diverse Councils —
as well as a love for fishing.
36
From playing forward to paying it forward
Charlotte Alumni Council member Vaughn Reynolds was a star soccer
player. Now he’s working with Charlotte Office Managing Partner Malcomb
Coley to help deserving accounting students win big.
38
What does disruption mean to today’s directors?
That’s the theme of our 2015 EY Board and Governance Forum on
October 8–9, 2015, in New York City. Nearly 100 EY alumni serving
on Fortune 1000 and Russell 3000 boards are expected to attend.
News
40 Alumni news and new alumni snapshots
Highlighting recent achievements of your friends and colleagues
45
Creative Director: Donald Batting
Photography: Brian Camarao, Jon Gayman,
Simon Lo, Greg Murray, Ben Rose, Chris Savas,
Rob Thomas, John Wildgoose
Connect magazine is printed in the US
by Great Lakes Integrated.
For further information on Connect, please contact
Jeff Anderson, Americas Director, Alumni Relations,
at [email protected] or +1 404 817 4875.
EY | Assurance | Tax | Transactions | Advisory
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and
advisory services. The insights and quality services
we deliver help build trust and confidence in the
capital markets and in economies the world over. We
develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on
our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we
play a critical role in building a better working world for
our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization, and may
refer to one or more, of the member firms of
Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a
separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited,
a UK company limited by guarantee, does not
provide services to clients. For more information
about our organization, please visit ey.com.
Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of
Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US.
© 2015 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Proprietary and confidential. Do not distribute
without written permission.
EYG no. QQ0392
ED 0616
The opinions of third parties set out in this publication
are not necessarily the opinions of the global EY
organization or its member firms. Moreover, they
should be viewed in the context of the time they
were expressed.
In line with EY’s commitment to minimize
its impact on the environment, this
document has been printed on paper
with a high recycled content.
Events gallery
A snapshot of recent alumni events throughout the Americas
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 3 Jim
Turley
Turning
the page
4 alumni.ey.com
I was always
comfortable in
my own skin,
comfortable
in whatever
environment I
found myself.
Retired EY Global Chairman and
CEO Jim Turley feels a large part
of his success is his ability to
simply be himself. And that’s his
advice to others, too.
words: Jay Seither photos: Jon Gayman
Retirement seems to suit Jim Turley to a T. After 36 years with EY —
including 12 as Global Chairman and CEO — Jim says the transition
to retirement “wasn’t that hard.” The reason, he believes, is his
natural ability to adapt, something he says served him throughout
his career: “I was always comfortable in my own skin, comfortable in
whatever environment I found myself … I think that’s been a real help
in turning the page.”
For Jim, turning the page has included serving on four corporate
boards (Citigroup, Northrop Grumman, Emerson Electric and
Intrexon) and three charitable boards (Boy Scouts of America,
United Way and the MUNY — the Municipal Theatre Association of
St. Louis, one of the oldest and largest community theaters in the
country). Yet, Jim says, he doesn’t feel all that busy. “Like most EY
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 5 Jim Turley: turning the page
A fond farewell
Jim’s tenure as EY’s Global Chairman
and CEO was marked by huge changes
for our organization, our clients and
the global economy. Throughout, he
led by example, and his legacy — a
relentless focus on our quality, values
and global integration — provides
a strong foundation for our future
success. Under Jim’s leadership, EY’s
annual global revenues more than
doubled. We established ourselves
as the most globally aligned of the
Big Four accounting firms in mindset,
actions and structure, and led the
way with our investments in new and
emerging markets. In June 2013,
upon announcing Jim’s retirement, EY
ran this ad in The Wall Street Journal,
recognizing Jim for his outstanding
contributions to EY, the profession and
our communities.
partners, I was working thousands of hours
a year. Now I’m putting in far less. It feels like
I’m on vacation all the time.”
The early years
When Jim joined the Houston office in 1977,
the thought of becoming EY’s top leader
never crossed his mind. He was thankful even
to be hired. “Some people graduate magna
cum laude and some summa cum laude. I
graduated thank the laude,” he jokes.
While in his senior year at Rice University
in Houston, Jim realized he had enough
credits to graduate early, at the end of the
first semester. Not sure what to do with the
extra time, he approached his accounting
professor, who said, “Jim, the brothers Ernst
are looking for an intern.” He was told to
contact Dean Mann, now a retired partner,
who initially hired Jim in the Houston office.
After Jim left to earn his master’s degree,
Dean was transferred to St. Louis as Office
Managing Partner and hired Jim for a second
time. He would go on to become one of Jim’s
lifetime mentors.
Over the years, Jim served as Upper
Midwest Regional Managing Partner,
Metropolitan New York Managing Partner,
National Director of Client Services and
Business Development and Area Director
of Entrepreneurial Services. In 2000, he
was named Deputy Chairman and in 2001,
became Global Chairman and CEO of the firm.
Rising to the challenge
Upon becoming Chairman and CEO, Jim was
faced with some extraordinary challenges.
During the first six months alone, there was
the 9/11 attack, the Enron scandal and the
collapse of Arthur Andersen, and “the country
was in its deepest recession prior to the 2008
financial crisis. We were doing a webcast, and
I remember someone emailing me, ‘Are you
having fun yet?’” recalls Jim. Looking back,
he notes that not only did EY survive those
challenges, but it came out stronger: “It’s all
about keeping your wits about you and having
a great team that can stay calm and effective,
even in times of crisis.”
For Jim, leadership is all about
empowering others, encouraging their ideas
and really listening to them, and then making
the call. “You’re not always going to have
consensus, but you need to plot the course
and expect others to follow.” That was Jim’s
approach at EY and, not surprisingly, it’s the
same on the boards he serves.
Getting on board
For some, retirement means traveling the
world or playing golf or pursing an “encore”
career. For Jim, it’s about serving on boards.
“I had the honor of leading EY for a long
time, so making the change to boards
was a natural. I feel totally relaxed — it’s a
blessing,” he says. That doesn’t mean there
haven’t been a few adjustments, however. In
one week, Jim went from CEO of EY to new
board member at Citigroup and Emerson
Electric. “I went from being the ultimate
insider to a complete outsider — it was a
fascinating change.”
Being the “new kid on the board” comes
with its benefits. Jim says that it gave him
“total license” to ask questions the more
established board members might be afraid
to. “I’m very comfortable saying, ‘wait a
minute,’ and asking about what I don’t
know — I think it’s my responsibility not to
be bashful,” he remarks.
6 alumni.ey.com
Some advice from the other side
Jim expects the same candor from the
professionals serving the companies on
whose boards he sits. Being on the buyer’s
side of the professional services table these
days reinforces what Jim believed at EY:
you should have a point of view and not be
afraid to express it. He notes that auditors,
tax professionals and consultants have a skill
set and knowledge — even company access —
that the board doesn’t have. “And because of
that, you darn well better have an opinion and
be ready to share it,” Jim asserts. “If you’re
concerned with risk or controls, let us know.
If you don’t think the company has the right
staffing or talent, let us know — don’t be shy.”
Jim thinks it’s human nature for most
people, especially accountants used to
providing very precise technical answers, to be
reluctant to share their perceptions. “But that’s
exactly what boards want … management,
too,” he adds. Jim believes the truly successful
partners at EY are those who are most
comfortable sharing what they’re thinking.
“A lucky life”
Reflecting on his 36-year career at EY, it’s
the people Jim misses the most. In addition
to Dean Mann, Jim notes that partners Mike
Grobstein, Doug Phillips and Dennis Purdum,
now retired, were especially influential
for him. Jim also misses the annual New
Partners and Principals Meeting and Interns
Conference, which he counts among his
fondest memories at EY. “These were both
celebrations of individuals who set a goal and
then worked hard to achieve it.” Seeing teams
come together to tackle big pursuits and firm
projects was also highly gratifying, he adds.
When asked about his personal success,
Jim is as candid as he is modest. “Look, I think
I have some skills that work well. I’m pretty
darn good at a lot of things but not off-thecharts great at anything. I’ve always tended to
keep my wits about me and not get too ruffled.
And I’ve managed to be in the right place at
the right time. It’s been a very lucky life.”
Jim’s advice for younger professionals? Be
yourself. Never forget you’re part of a team.
Continually learn. Say “yes” to a challenge or
opportunity that makes you uncomfortable.
Back home again
In the interview with Jim on the patio of his
suburban St. Louis home, we are less than
10 miles from where he grew up. His mom,
dad, brothers and sisters all live nearby. Lynne,
Jim’s wife of 36 years, is also from St. Louis,
and her family is there as well. Their son, Jay,
is a newlywed living in New York and working
for Capgemeni. “I’ve been gone for 20 years,”
says Jim, “but this is still home.”
Following our interview, Jim was planning
to do a conference call, work out and then
smoke a cigar — truly a man comfortable in
his own skin.
A message from
Michael J. DeStefano
EY Global Alumni Executive Partner
I had the pleasure
of interviewing Jim
for this issue of
Connect. While I’ve
known him for many
years, this was
my first meeting
with Jim since his
retirement and
my appointment
as Global Alumni
Executive Partner. As we talked, I was
struck by Jim’s heartfelt commitment
to EY’s “alumni family” — as he’s always
called it. In fact, at a partners’ meeting
just before being named CEO, Jim spoke
about the importance of developing
a culture at EY that recognizes that
all who join — whether they stay
2 years or 32 — will someday become
alumni. Today, EY boasts a thriving
alumni relations effort that I have the
privilege to lead. As we continue our
alumni journey, I want to thank Jim for
his legacy in helping to create an EY
experience that lasts a lifetime.
And speaking of legacy, I’m excited
about the next phase of EY’s brand
evolution. The fact that “legacy”
features prominently in the EY brand
is a direct reflection of the incredible
impact alumni have made on this
outstanding organization.
Finally, thanks to our entire Alumni
Relations team for all you do to connect
alumni around the world and bring our
“alumni family” closer together.
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 7 You can’t
introduce a
purpose to your
organization that
isn’t part of its
DNA. It must be
authentic.
Acting on purpose
Coming into
EY later in my
career, I never
until now fully
appreciated the
power of alumni
and the alumni
network in the
marketplace.
8 alumni.ey.com
More about
Barbara Davies
• EY Global Brand, Marketing and
Communications Leader since 2011
• Joined EY in 1998 as a Talent director,
specializing in change management
• Worked with the former EY UK
chairman to establish a national
communications function for the
EY UK practice, then served as
Communications Leader for Europe,
the Middle East, India and Africa
• In 2011, led the initiative to
integrate EY’s global brand,
marketing and communications
groups into one global team
• Degree in Economics from
Manchester University and is a
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development
More about
John Rudaizky
• EY Global Brand and External
Communications Leader
• More than 20 years’ brand, marketing
and communications experience
• Joined EY as partner in 2014 following
nine years with WPP, the world’s largest
marketing services group
• His diverse, multisector marketing
integration skills have helped him drive
one in five of the world’s top 20 global
brands, including Procter & Gamble,
Mars, Sony, Visa International, Vodafone
and many others
• Initiated the UK’s groundbreaking
NSPCC Full Stop campaign — one of the
nation’s most successful campaigns for
the prevention of child abuse
• Formerly worked at the
Saatchi & Saatchi agency and
ran his own marketing firm
A purpose is a powerful thing. At EY, ours is
Building a better working world. But what
does that actually mean? How do you arrive
at “better”? As alumni, you are our brand
ambassadors around the globe, so we want to
ensure you have a deep understanding of what
our purpose is all about.
words: Jay Seither photos: John Wildgoose
We are evolving our brand to continue
bringing our purpose to life and to make
it resonate even more strongly. We
are taking a new creative approach to
crystalize our purpose — a framed yellow
box with a question and three short, but
critical phrases: The better the question.
The better the answer. The better the
world works. The phrases succinctly show
how we make Building a better working
world more real to our clients and our
people. In this issue of Connect, we talk
to Barbara Davies, EY Global Brand,
Marketing and Communications Leader,
and John Rudaizky, EY Global Brand and
External Communications Leader, about
EY’s evolving brand and the vital role our
alumni play in it.
Accelerating the trajectory
When EY launched its new brand in 2011,
it included something unusual: in addition
to the requisite strategy and mission, EY
defined its purpose — Building a better
working world. According to Barbara
Davies, EY is one of the very few corporate
organizations to align its business around
a purpose. “This purpose immediately
resonated with our people and clients alike,”
she says, “but we knew we could take it
further — accelerate the trajectory.”
For John Rudaizky, the question was,
how do you take Building a better working
world and make it more meaningful
internally and externally. “While there is
gut-level enthusiasm and demonstrable
power in EY’s purpose, there are also
fundamental questions as to what it looks
like day-to-day: how do we articulate this
to clients as a benefit to them and how
do we engender more pride in our people
around our purpose?” he asks. After
months of research and creative thinking,
including talking to many alumni around
the world, the answer to what Barbara and
John were looking for turned out to be …
more questions.
Inquiring minds
“When you look at what EY does, we’re
trying to help our clients with their most
challenging and complex problems,” says
Barbara, “and this begins with us asking
questions.” John describes it as “a journey to
find new, better working solutions for clients
through the power of questions.” Both agree
it’s a ripple effect, where, by consistently
asking the right questions, we help our
clients improve their business — thereby
helping them build their working world.
This focus on solving client issues
through powerful questioning, combined
with our desire to better articulate our
purpose, is the impetus behind “The better
the question. The better the answer. The
better the world works.” “This is the glue that
now binds us all together — on every client
engagement — this is not some external
brand wrapping,” says John. “It helps give
meaning to Building a better working world
for both our people and our clients.”
Getting emotional
Not only is it somewhat unusual for an
organization like EY to have a stated
purpose, but even more so for that purpose
to have some degree of emotion at its core.
Barbara thinks it’s a natural fit for EY. “We’re
a really connected, friendly organization,
and teaming is incredibly important for us,”
she notes. In addition, there’s significant
research that shows that business-to-
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 9 Acting on purpose
business relationships are more emotive
than business-to-customer relationships.
“You spend a lot more time in business-tobusiness relationships, and there are almost
always emotional implications involved,
including the esteem we have toward our
own and others’ organizations,” adds John.
Did EY set out to deliberately create
an emotional purpose? “Yes,” say Barbara
and John. “But the emotion comes from
our people wanting to know why they are
doing something as much as what they
are doing,“ Barbara remarks. Today, as EY
moves to act further on its purpose, John
states that “EY unashamedly believes in
fostering emotion behind Building a better
working world.”
And one very powerful — and emotional —
aspect of building a better working world?
The concept of legacy.
What legacy will you leave?
As the team considered how to bring our
purpose to life, the concept of legacy was
a recurring theme — not just for millennials
who want to join an organization that
positively impacts the world, but for our
leadership, our clients, our people and
our alumni. The greatest legacies in the
world have been left by the people who
have been curious to innovate and ask
questions to solve new issues. And our
alumni have done that while at EY and in
their later ventures. “Alumni are extremely
10 alumni.ey.com
important to EY — they are our legacy,”
says Barbara. She notes that none of us is
likely to build a better working world alone,
or to live forever, “so we’re always working
to build something to hand on to the next
generation.” According to John, alumni are
very much an integral part of EY’s purpose.
“Our alumni go on to do great things,” he
says, “and we want to recognize the new
legacies they are creating while inspiring
current and future EY people.”
Not your mother’s or father’s EY
Articulating EY’s purpose through the lens
of a question allows us to reflect the new
range of services we offer.
Depending on when you left EY
(assuming you’re an alum), you may not
be fully aware of the tremendous range of
services and all the great things the firm is
doing today ... even if you left just a year
ago. “Our alumni are still part of EY, and
we want them to feel engaged, informed
and proud of what we’re doing,” says
Barbara. “As our alumni sit in key roles,
when something comes up about digital
or analytics or perhaps other things that
weren’t even around when they were here,
Below: Barbara Davies, EY Global Brand, Marketing
and Communications Leader, and John Rudaizky, EY
Global Brand and External Communications Leader,
discuss the next phase of EY’s brand activation
during a videotaping in London.
it’d be great if they could say ‘EY can do
that for us.’”
So, what questions do you have?
EY’s “better questions” idea is intended
to encourage dialogue — between EY and
our clients, between our people, and with
our alumni. How can you participate? “It
would be amazing,” says John, “if our
alumni around the world would let us know
what profound questions they’re facing in
their boardrooms and organizations. This
would permit us to focus on what is critical
to helping businesses work better.” You
can send us those questions by tweeting
#BetterQuestions or via email. We’d also love
to hear your inspiring stories about how you
are building a better working world as you
build your legacy.
As EY continues to define and refine
its purpose of Building a better working
world, alumni will always be part of the
legacy. “Everything we do at EY generates
legacy,” Barbara reflects. “And when you
create legacy, as our alumni have, that
inspires others to do the same.”
Right: The powerful legacy of our alumni, and their
ability to help EY achieve its purpose, will resonate
strongly through the next phase of EY’s brand
evolution, as seen in the ad at right, one of several
in a series.
Your contribution to building a better world of work continues
long after you’ve left EY, as your success and knowledge set
an example for a new generation of business leaders. Go to
ey.com/alumni to continue building your legacy today.
© 2015 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EDNone
Will you wait for
the future to
happen, or take a
hand in shaping it?
Empowering
W.O.M.E.N.
If you ask Joan Amble for advice, be
prepared to take notes, and you’d
better write quickly. With a career in
accounting and finance behind her,
she now serves on multiple corporate
boards and works with an organization
she co-founded that mentors and
coaches promising mid-career women.
words: Anne Lampert photos: Brian Camarao
The organization — Women Optimizing Mentoring,
Education and Networking, aka W.O.M.E.N. in America
(WIA)* — identifies promising mid-level women and
provides them with the soft skills necessary to excel
in leadership positions. Joan generously made time
to open up to EY with some candid reflections and
recommendations for the next generation of leaders.
Some early career advice
The first real piece of career advice Joan received
was from her father, who counseled her to drop
her home economics major in favor of accounting.
“You’re good at math,” he reasoned. She was, and the
switch paid off. After graduating summa cum laude
from Penn State University, Joan joined what was
then Ernst & Ernst.
Confidence through competence
*The mission of W.O.M.E.N. in America (WIA) (www.womeninamerica.net)
is to change the landscape of women in high-level positions, such as
CEOs, in the C-suite, as successful business entrepreneurs, and on
corporate boards, and to pay it forward.
12 alumni.ey.com
Although there’s a steep learning curve, Joan notes
that the accounting profession provides great
leadership opportunities early on. EY taught her
the value of client service and how to navigate the
I earned a
reputation
as a
problem
solver,
a change
agent.
Joan
Amble
professional environment in different corporate
cultures. She saw how clients responded to great
work and pursued the EY ideal of excellence.
“I gained confidence through competence,”
Joan explains. “The hours were long and the work
challenging, but it gave me the experience I needed to
take on leadership challenges after just a few years.”
However, with leadership comes increased
responsibility. As half of a two-career household with
a young daughter, Joan faced the challenges so many
working parents do: she and her husband were both
pushing the “career gas pedal” at the same time, and
both recognized the importance of having someone
readily available for their daughter.
Raise your hand
So Joan accepted a role at the FASB — without
discussing her predicament with her EY supervisors.
“That was a mistake,” she now says. “I didn’t have
the confidence to raise my hand, propose a solution
to Ed Dougherty, my Office Managing Partner, and
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 13 Joan Amble — Empowering W.O.M.E.N.
have an honest discussion with him.” When
she submitted her resignation, she was
offered a change of schedule to give her
more predictable hours. “But by then it
was too late,” she declares. “I had made a
commitment to the FASB and to my family.”
Now she encourages professional women
to recognize what they need to be excellent
employees and present solutions to facilitate
that. One young woman she counseled, a
mid-level law firm associate with a young
child and an equally busy spouse, was
preparing her resignation when she asked
Joan for advice. “She was a great lawyer,
and the firm wanted to keep her. I told her
to figure out what would work for her and
present that solution to the partners.”
The challenge was similar to those Joan
had faced 30 years earlier. At the time,
there were few precedents in the field for
successful implementation of flexible work
schedules. The young woman proposed a
part-time policy, taking Fridays off but being
available by phone, and the firm accepted.
Had she not raised her hand, Joan notes,
she would have missed the opportunity to
continue a promising career.
Career shifts
For Joan, accepting the role at the FASB
was ultimately a prescient career move.
Working as a standard setter offered
a different perspective on defining
accounting boundaries, articulating
standards and communicating with
regulated entities, something that would
prove invaluable down the line.
“I thought I had put my career on hold,
but as it turned out, it was an enormous
catalyst.” Denny Beresford, Chair of the
FASB during her tenure and a former EY
senior partner, became and has remained
one of her key supporters. Joan authored
the first derivatives standards project,
and remarked wryly, “my punishment was
implementing the new standards at GE.”
Five years in, she made a presentation
to Dennis Dammerman, CFO of GE and
a newly inducted FASB Trustee. He was
impressed and hired her out of the FASB.
Joan spent the next 14 years in various
roles at GE, beginning with technical
accounting support roles and continuing
in roles of increasing responsibility,
culminating in CFO and COO of GE Capital
Markets. The culture within GE was nothing
like what she had seen at the FASB, but her
experience at EY had taught her to adapt.
She earned a reputation as a problem
solver, change agent and strong leader.
The skills attained at EY, FASB and GE
made Joan a strong candidate for the role of
EVP and Principal Accounting Officer at the
American Express Company, an experience
Joan calls “energizing.” She quickly saw
how the company’s culture of encouraging
networking and relationship-building paid
large dividends for its team. She was with
American Express from 2004 until she
retired in 2011.
The importance of networking
The WIA program was born of a friendship
Joan struck with 10 women she met at
FORTUNE’s 2008 Most Powerful Women
Summit, an annual gathering of prominent
women in business. The women reconvened
two months later at the American Express
headquarters in New York City. “We had
an agenda — to continue to build our own
relationships, to expand our network (or as we
affectionately refer to it, our ‘golf game’) and,
most important, to begin a conversation about
how we could ‘pay it forward’ to the rising
generation of leaders.”
Mentoring programs already abounded
within companies, but Joan and her
colleagues still saw missed opportunities and
young professional women making the same
mistakes they had made. They devised WIA as
a platform to provide education and to offer
opportunities for networking and mentoring.
The education piece is key, Joan explains. “We
see so many women whose technical expertise
is undeniable, but who struggle with soft
skills like managing a difficult conversation,
articulating their personal brand or defining
their leadership model. We also saw gaps
in women developing their personal board
of directors or building a virtual rolodex
overflowing with peers, as well as both junior
and senior professionals.” Each of those
elements is a critical learning objective of WIA.
WIA is not geared for passive participation.
“We do not assign mentees a mentor … that
is their job,” says Joan. Mentees identify
and call upon mentors as necessary, building
relationships and confidence along the
way. One indication of success, in addition
to the many participants who have been
promoted and asked for and received salary
increases for jobs well done, is that many
program graduates continue to meet as a
WIA alumni group — one the mentees founded
themselves. Joan and the mentor-sponsors
still meet separately several times a year as
well, in addition to attending the WIA events.
Combining her love of board work and passion
for active mentoring and coaching, Joan
continues her busy and productive life in this
new phase of her career.
EY alumna Joan Amble (left) shows a locket with
photos of her grandchildren to Karyn Twaronite,
EY Global Diversity and Inclusiveness Officer
(center), and Janet Truncale, EY Americas FSO
Assurance Leader.
14 alumni.ey.com
The
power
of
purpose
Bob
Patton
Organizations
are made up of
individuals, and
individuals need
to be inspired to
sustain long-term
change, and that
is the power of
purpose.
Bob Patton thrives on change.
Today, as EY Americas Vice Chair
of Advisory Services, he leads a
flourishing US$3.3b practice of
14,000 employees committed to
helping clients prosper in an age
of unprecedented disruption.
Under his leadership, our
Americas Advisory practice has
enjoyed double-digit growth
every year.
words: Anne Lampert photos: Jonathan Gayman
A higher calling
Bob considers himself “incredibly blessed” to serve in an
organization whose purpose is Building a better working world.
More than a tagline, our purpose drives EY’s highly integrated
service model, which aligns the firm’s multiple disciplines
to address client needs. To build a better working world, he
explains, “EY helps bring stability to the capital markets,
transform industries and improve companies as they face the
many challenges of today’s global marketplace.”
And those challenges are daunting: “We’ve never before
seen this level of change,” Bob declares. The most dramatic
and far-reaching is digitization — of commerce, communication
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 15 Bob Patton — The power of purpose
and virtually every aspect of modern life.
He notes that since 2000, more than 50%
of Fortune 500 companies have ceased to
exist — with much of this change driven by
digital disruption.
Digital advances, occurring at warp
speed, are accelerating the pace of
innovation around the globe. In every
boardroom he visits, Bob observes innovation
topping the agenda. Seismic demographic
shifts are also fueling opportunity, with
9 out of 10 people younger than 30 living
in emerging markets. To succeed, every
company must tap into that “demographic
dividend” and deftly navigate today’s new
global ecosystem in all its complexities.
A distinctive difference
In a time of global uncertainty, EY Advisory
demonstrates sure footing. The fastest-growing
practice within EY, Advisory in the Americas
promotes or directly admits more than 250
executives and hires over 2,000 experienced
professionals annually.
EY alumni have always played an
important role in mentoring or referring
many of the practice’s leadership team. Bob
counts himself one of them: “I would not be
half the professional I am today without the
continuous coaching and invaluable guidance
I received from many EY alumni.”
If one word could describe the culture at
EY, it would be “collaborative.” Distinct from
“The bridge from the current state to the
new world order is purpose.”
More about
Bob Patton
• Featured in Consulting’s July 2015 cover story
about EY’s Purpose-led Transformation and the
EY Advisory practice
• Featured in Consulting’s January 2013 issue about
his role in building the Americas Advisory practice
• Recognized in 2011 as a Top 25 Consultant for
Excellence in Leadership
• Is a LinkedIn “Influencer”
other professional services firms, EY deploys
a truly integrated service model. Advisory
collaborates closely with Assurance, Tax and
Transaction Advisory Services to ensure that
clients can take full advantage of big-picture
thinking and multiple skill sets. This model
is only effective in an organization where
teaming is the natural way of working and
capabilities are truly global.
Bob recalls a recent experience at
Advisory’s annual global summit for industry
analysts. “They were saying they could ‘feel’
the EY difference. They could ‘feel and see’
our global alignment. They could ‘feel and
Advisory timeline
2000
2003
2005
2007
2008
2009
Ernst & Young LLP
sells its consulting
business to
Capgemini
Communications
Advisory Services
(CAS), led by
Carl Smith,
launches finance
improvement
advisory services,
focused on the
telecom, media
and entertainment
industries
CAS becomes
Financial &
Performance
Management (F&PM),
focused on crosssector performance
improvement
services with a goto-market approach,
teaming with other
EY service lines
F&PM becomes
Business Advisory
Services (BAS) as
advisory group
expands performance
improvement
capabilities
BAS and RAS combine to
form Advisory, focused
on helping clients
improve and protect
business performance
Advisory becomes a
stand-alone service
line, with Bob Patton
as Americas leader
16 alumni.ey.com
Risk services combine
to form Risk Advisory
Services (RAS)
Differential focus on
sector, priority accounts,
exceptional client service
and recruiting talent to
accelerate growth
EnteGreat* and
Capital City
Technology acquired
by Advisory
* partial acquisition;
full acquisition in 2015
see’ our sense of teaming and collaboration.
They could ‘feel and see’ our integrated,
multidisciplinary capabilities. And most
importantly, they liked what they saw!”
Still part of the family
Bob first joined EY in 1990 in the financial
management consulting practice. In 2000,
when EY sold its consulting practice to
Capgemini, he went with it, working in the
firm’s government solutions practice. In 2004,
he left Capgemini to join Gartner Consulting
as the president of its consulting business.
Then, in 2008, he got the call asking him to
rejoin the firm and contribute to building the
Advisory practice. He recalls telling his wife he
was considering the opportunity. Noting that
both she and Bob were still drinking from EY
coffee mugs all those years later, she asked,
“What do you mean, you are thinking about
rejoining EY?”
Even after moving on, Bob never
experienced a culture like EY’s. “It’s a special
place, and we still felt very much a part of the
EY family.” He was excited about returning to
EY and “working with incredible people in an
amazing culture, and doing something special,
something big.”
sustainable change, which has to underpin
people’s behavior, then you need to leverage
the power of purpose,” he explains.
At the 2015 World Economic Forum in
Davos, EY unveiled key research findings that
not only are purpose-driven organizations
gaining ground in customer satisfaction,
customer loyalty and product/service
quality, but purpose is viewed as a driver of
innovation and transformation as well.*
These insights are the springboard for
EY’s Purpose-led Transformation offering
(PLT), which Bob describes as distinctive
in the market. “No other firm has a global
network of people who have been trained
and certified in methods and tools and the
power of purpose, and nobody has a pipeline
and has won engagements that are using
purpose to spur quantifiable change among
our clients.”
Bob is convinced that EY has all the
ingredients essential to sustain its marketleading position. “Why is EY Advisory driving
profession-leading, double-digit growth year
after year? It’s because we have world-class
talent who are inspired by Vision 2020 and
enabled by the best culture in the business!”
Raising the game
In conversations with many CEOs — some
in the world’s largest companies — Bob
repeatedly heard about the difficulties of
creating sustainable global change. Just as
EY’s purpose has galvanized the organization,
a common purpose can have a profound
impact on every enterprise. “If you want
*The global research was performed by the EY Beacon
Institute in conjunction with the University of Oxford
Said Business School and Harvard Business Review
Analytic Services Research. The EY Beacon Institute is
a shared resource and a community of diverse leaders
dedicated to advancing the science and execution of
purpose in business.
The
EY Advisory
agenda
The EY Advisory practice is
distinctively equipped to assist
clients in navigating the disruptions
transforming our world. Our
Advisory professionals have
gained a reputation as strategic
advisors, asking the right questions
and collaborating with clients in
enabling a continuous cycle of
business transformation in key
focus areas:
• Strategy — sustaining and
accelerating profitable growth
• Digital — making the most
of digital opportunities
and challenges, including
cybersecurity, analytics and
big data
• Analytics — leveraging data as a
strategic asset to support betterinformed decisions that help
companies compete and win
• Cybersecurity — adapting
cybersecurity to be more dynamic
and better aligned and integrated
into key business processes
• Managed services — annuity
services such as IT audit and highvalue cloud-based services
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Global
Analytics
Corporation
acquisition
Advisory introduces
innovative learning
and developmental
approaches, including
case-based simulations
and gaming theory
Advisory named a “visionary in
business operations consulting”
by Gartner
P&L Consulting Group
merger; Semphonic
and Bedrock
Consulting acquired
BPM Specialists,
LogiStar Solutions,
Ambir Solutions,
Five Point Partners
and Up Consulting
acquired
Advisory and Los
Alamos National
Laboratory form
alliance to develop
advanced, behavioral
cybersecurity tools
ISA Consulting acquired
Rollout of Experience
Management staffing approach —
links deployment, development,
mobility and inclusiveness
Winner, Consulting’s
“Best Firms to Work For”
Axia Value Chain Consulting
acquired
Americas Advisory becomes a
US$2b business
EY Culture
Coin program
recognizes Advisory
professionals who
exemplify EY’s values
InWave and Mycroft
acquired
Americas Advisory
becomes a US$3b
business with
14,000+ people
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 17 Serving
those
who
serve
our
country
As CFO of United Services
Automobile Association (USAA),
Laura Bishop is in the business
of helping ensure the financial
security of the military and their
families. Being a “servant leader”
is her passion.
words: Eboni T. Thomas photos: Ben Rose
Work life to family life
Laura takes great pride in what USAA does — and there’s a family
connection, as well. Her daughter, Paige, is married to an Air
Force pilot. “In a sense, it’s as if she joined the military, too,” says
Laura. “These families just pick up and move and do what this
country asks of them,” she observes. To see firsthand how USAA
supports the families is very gratifying for Laura: “When you
understand the needs of our members, and then are in a position
to adapt our business on their behalf, that’s the fun part. I can’t
imagine serving a better group of people,” she remarks.
18 alumni.ey.com
I feel good
about the fact
that I spend
my days
thinking about
how we can
serve military
families better.
Laura
Bishop
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 19 Laura Bishop — Serving those who serve our country
Engineering to accounting
Laura grew up in the family business,
working at several shoe stores owned by her
parents in San Antonio, Texas. She learned
about accounts receivable by helping her
mother with billing and credits her family for
encouraging her to apply her love for math
and science to a major in civil engineering
at the University of Texas at Austin. As an
uncle told her, “Female engineers can write
their own ticket.”
After completing a year on an
engineering scholarship, she transferred to
UT’s business school in search of the “most
difficult” major. Her choice? Accounting.
That’s how she met her husband, Paul, who
happened to take the same path from civil
engineering to accounting. Less coincidental
was her path to earning one of the highest
scores on the CPA exam. For this, she
“blames” Paul: “We were dating at the
time and he wanted to study for the exam,
so he was always in the library. If I wanted
to see him, I had to go to the library too,”
she laughs, admitting she’s also “a good
test-taker.” In fact, she scored in the top 100
in the country, receiving offers from all the
then-Big Eight. Her choice? Arthur Young.
Meanwhile, Paul picked Ernst & Whinney,
once again proving their paths were
meant to converge, given the eventual
Ernst & Young merger.
Accountant to CFO
Bishop started in the San Antonio office in
1983, serving retail clients, which suited
her background. Upon becoming a manager,
she did a teaching residency for leadership
development — spending three months on
the road teaching audit courses. “You may
think it was all about audit education, but
it wasn’t,” she reflects. “It was about public
speaking and getting in front of a crowd. If
you’re staring out at blank faces and you’re
thinking, ‘I’m saying all the right things,
and they’re just not getting it,’ you have to
change what you’re saying. I’ve used that
skill set for my entire career.”
In 1992, Laura left EY to join Luby’s,
a cafeteria-style restaurant chain, as an
internal auditor. Even though the thought of
going to the same place every day “scared
me to death,” Laura committed to stay
at least six months. In the course of her
work, she discovered the company had
“EY gave me such
a solid business
foundation.
The variety of
responsibilities I
was given so early
in my career was
incredible.”
About
Laura Bishop
• CFO and Vice Chair of Risk Council, USAA
• Chair of the board for USAA Property
Holdings, Inc.
• Member of the boards of USAA Real
Estate Company, USAA Limited,
the USAA Educational Foundation and
the USAA Foundation, Inc.
• President of the USAA Reciprocal
Attorney-in-Fact, Inc.
20 alumni.ey.com
overpaid a significant amount in leaserelated costs. “I took it to the CFO, and after
I found something else, he started saying,
‘What’s next?’” Finding more opportunity
and variety than she’d expected, she soon
became Luby’s CFO.
Public company to
private company
After eight years with Luby’s, when the
youngest of her four children was three,
she decided to take a sabbatical in order
to spend more time with her family. Three
months later, however, she got a call from
someone at USAA, and a friend who worked
there encouraged her to have lunch with the
organization’s then-CFO, later CEO, General
Joe Robles, now retired. “Just meeting
him and being part of a company with a
mission that is bigger than yourself was very
important to me. It matched up with what
Alumna Laura Bishop (third from left), CFO of
USAA, with members of her EY engagement
team (left to right): Jennifer Bazan,
Assurance Senior Manager for USAA
Enterprise; Boriana Damm, Assurance Senior
Manager for USAA Insurance & Real Estate;
Steve McCreary, USAA Global Services
Coordinating Partner and Southwest FSO
Market Segment Leader; Juhee Williamson,
ITRA Partner on USAA; Mary Stephenson,
USAA EP for Real Estate and Mutual Funds;
and Sarah Sheridan, Assurance Senior
Manager for USAA Bank & Broker/Dealers.
I was looking for.” She accepted a position
with USAA but did maintain her six-month
commitment to her family. “Apparently, I
overcame my eight-year itch,” she smiles.
“I’ve been here 14 years.”
Bishop started in internal audit at
USAA with 29 direct reports, overseeing
the bank, investment management and
IT divisions. “I was only in internal audit
for nine months when Joe said, ‘Ready
to move?’ I remember replying, ‘Joe, I’m
just getting good at this job.’ But he had a
motto: ‘If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re
not growing.’” In less than a year, Bishop
moved to the treasury team in charge of
capital management, where she learned
the different lines of business. “I had to
learn everything we did in the capital
markets: asset-backed securitizations,
reinsurance and all the requirements,”
she notes. She also learned how to set
appropriate targets in a high-exposure
planning role.
Asked to be an executive sponsor of
the organization’s advisory panel, Laura
gained board exposure and insight into
members’ needs. For example, Laura
relates how a young naval officer who was
a pilot on aircraft carriers helped USAA
discover its internet bandwidth didn’t work
well at sea. Service was slow, and the crew
only had so many minutes a day to get
on the computers. “So we made a lot of
technology changes … you can’t be just
a finance person,” says Laura of USAA’s
member-centric culture.
Staying in touch
Bishop reflects fondly on the people she
built relationships with during her years
at EY. “We all started our families around
the same time, and we babysat for each
other. We did so many things together, and
we really grew together as friends. That
social network is still an important part of
my life,” she remarks. Many of the people
who made an impact on Laura’s career are
now successful EY partners. She credits EY
alumni Dave Wilson and Jean Carlyle, one
of the firm’s early female partners, along
with Randy Cain, EY’s current Vice Chair
and Southwest Region Managing Partner,
who have all served as sounding boards
throughout her career. In addition to her
USAA career, Laura is Honorary Commander
of the 27th Training Wing at Lackland Air
Force Base, serves on the advisory board of
FM Global and is active in her church and the
busy lives of her children.
More about USAA
• Fortune 500 diversified financial
services group of companies that
provides insurance, banking,
investments, retirement products and
advice to more than 10 million current
and former members of the US military
and their families
• Founded in 1922 by a group of U.S. Army
officers to self-insure one another when
they were unable to secure auto insurance
because of the perception that, as military
officers, they were a high-risk group
• A pioneer in the use of direct marketing;
most of its business is conducted over
mobile channels, the internet or telephone,
using employees instead of agents
• Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 21 Point of view
Ken
Bouyer
22 alumni.ey.com
Diana
Solash
Point of view
Rising to the
challenge:
preparing for the
changing face
of leadership
Census data tell us that by 2050,
there will be no single racial or ethnic
majority in the US. Further, new
immigrants and their children will
account for 83% of the growth in the
working-age population.* At EY, we
believe the success of any organization
depends on its ability to leverage
the differences of its people. We
also believe that great organizations
develop great leaders — regardless of
race, ethnicity or gender.
words: Ken Bouyer and Diana Solash with Eboni Thomas
photos: Simon Lo, Brian Camarao
*Statistics according to the Center for American Progress
EY has long been recognized for its
commitment to recruit, develop and
advance ethnically diverse professionals.
Key statistics — such as the representation
of minorities at our partner/principal rank
nearly tripling since 2000 — show we’re right
on track. But to make our diversity efforts
sustainable, we must team and lead, as well
as recruit inclusively from the top down.
Discover EY and EY Unplugged are just
two of the many efforts EY invests in to
attract underrepresented minorities (URMs)
to the accounting profession and then
ensure equitable access to advancement
opportunities once they’re here.
Discover EY
with Ken Bouyer
When I first started in EY’s Assurance
practice in New York in 1990, there were
no programs focused on diversity and
inclusiveness (D&I). As a person of color,
I was one of very few “different” people in the
organization. But there’s a huge difference
from where I started to where we are today.
Our talented minorities have an opportunity
to be so successful here, and anything we can
Kimberly Foster
Assurance Staff
“Through Discover EY, I felt
like I had a family — and
a network — before I even
joined the firm. It showed
me EY was definitely the best
firm for me.”
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 23 Point of view — Rising to the challenge
“Programs such as EY Unplugged
provide new staff with insights into EY’s
work environment, culture and critical
success factors. This helps them build
a support network and a foundation for
career success.”
Kathy Ford
Partner, Global Compliance & Reporting
“EY is committed to growing leaders and
to a culture that embraces diversity
and inclusiveness. Discover EY and EY
Unplugged exemplify how we embed D&I
into our culture in order to build the next
generation of leadership.”
Derrick Steele
Partner, Risk
“EY’s investment in programs like EY
Unplugged and Discover EY demonstrate
the great innovation required to support
a diverse culture. These programs
provide an effective springboard for new
staff and help them, at an early age, to
build key networks with EY executives.”
Oscar Suarez
Partner, Executive Management
24 alumni.ey.com
do to help raise awareness around this D&I
issue is going to make us better.
There’s a war for talent in the URM
space. Many graduates choose to become
attorneys, engineers, scientists or doctors
due to the lack of exposure to accounting.
STEM — science, technology, engineering
and mathematics — professions do a much
better job of raising awareness with URMs.
So EY has to be out in front, openly talking
about and branding our profession, or we’ll
miss out on a lot of talented folks. We’re
really trying to challenge that paradigm and
make professional services more attractive
and welcoming.
The good news is Pan Asians are wellrepresented; about 22% of our new hires
are Pan Asian. But overall, our profession
still struggles to attract Black, Latino and
Native American talent in proportion to
the US population. Our trend of hiring
URMs from interns to full-time continues
to be on the upward track. EY is definitely
in the game. However, we want to get
where the schools we recruit from have
enough underrepresented talent that,
through our normal channels, without a
differential investment, we would get the
appropriate percentage.
Getting with the program
Our Discover EY program — a three-day
conference for high-achieving high school
URMs considering careers in accounting —
is a big competitive advantage as it allows
us to meet and talk to these students. We
have to do this early and often to get the
absolute best talent. They get a glimpse
of our culture and discover that we’re
real people with careers and families who
care about each other’s success. Many
are blown away by the experience and
how much we invest in them. They are
incredibly appreciative.
At EY, we do a lot more in the D&I
space than just talk about it. For example,
we relaunched our EY Scholars program
this year, a highly competitive program
that assists select URM interns with their
master’s degree tuition.
A few days ago, I received a note from
a Discover EY/EY Unplugged “alumnus.”
He’s doing really well in our Philadelphia
office and just passed his CPA exam. I’ve
got a ton of such stories that solidify why
these investments matter and how they
make a difference.
EY Unplugged
with Diana Solash
Things certainly have changed at EY since
I joined the Talent Team in New York in
1994. One of the first things I heard was,
“Never wear a pants suit; you must wear a
skirt suit.” For women, there were “rules”
about how to show up. Back then, I also
struggled with how to go about building
meaningful relationships with my internal
clients, most of whom were older White
men. I come from an Asian background,
where there’s tremendous respect for
authority and hierarchy. So I wondered,
“How do I get my voice heard without
offending those who are more senior than I
am?” That was not an easy conversation as
there were few role models.
While Discover EY is about attracting
ethnic minorities to the profession and to
EY, EY Unplugged is about starting them
Niko Blakely
Assurance Associate
“The resources I have through
EY Unplugged are invaluable.
They provide greater access
to my peers as well as firm
leaders who truly care about
my progress.”
off on the right foot once here. It provides
access to role models, mentors, peers and
potential sponsors — as well as information
on the “unwritten rules” that exist in every
organization. The reality in human behavior
is people like to connect with people who
are like them. So connections between
minorities and non-minorities often may
not happen naturally. This program seeks
to create those networks and provide
information vital to our people’s careers —
getting and receiving feedback, surviving
the first year, executive presence and other
critical success factors.
We have two versions of Unplugged.
One is an in-person gathering of our Black
and Latino professionals that allows them
to network with Black and Latino staff
and executives who have come before
them. The other is a webcast for Asian
professionals, who, while well-represented
in our hiring classes, are underrepresented
in our leadership ranks. To be successful
at EY, a person must get regular feedback.
In my role, I do a lot of matchmaking
between managers, senior managers and
partners, and staff and seniors who share
the same background. These relationships
enable our more junior people to openly
share their challenges and seek advice.
This helps to normalize these challenges —
and helps our minorities see that the
challenges they face are common; they do
not need to face them alone.
Diversity of thought and
perspective
We risk dying as a profession if talent
from all backgrounds — including ethnic
minorities — doesn’t choose to enter the
field. As Ken described, we are working
hard to attract talent from diverse
backgrounds. Once this talent is here at
EY, how do we make sure we’re developing
it equitably? EY Unplugged is one of the
ways we’re doing this — and the good news
is, we’ve seen results through increased
retention and attainment of licensure.
Through EY Unplugged, one of our
Asian participants learned she needed to
be really intentional about relationships and
asking for opportunities. She volunteered
to work on a large internal project in
addition to her regular client service duties.
The extra work was quite demanding. But
when the project was over, she received a
recognition award from an executive who
said he’d absolutely work with her again.
These “small wins” of recognition add up
and collectively help drive the progress we
are striving for.
What can EY alumni do?
Ta-Von Wilson
Assurance staff
“EY Unplugged has had a
tremendous impact on me.
I’ve gotten to network with
underrepresented minority
partners as well as my peers.
It encourages all of us to
come together and build
together for the future.”
As the leaders of Discover EY and
EY Unplugged, we encourage
you, our alumni, many of whom
sit in the C-suite and on corporate
and university boards, to help
ensure your organization is
well represented in diversity of
thought. At your next meeting,
talk about diversifying boardrooms
and ask your service providers
about their diversity efforts. Your
organization, our profession and
our underrepresented minorities
will all be the better for it.
More about
Diana Solash
• Director, Global and Americas
Diversity & Inclusiveness at EY
• Board member, past President,
Metro NY Chapter of Ascend
• Co-Chair, Committee for Economic
Development’s Women’s Economic
Contribution Subcommittee
• Member, New York Women’s
Foundation Corporate Leadership
Committee
• Former member, JumpStart
Advisory Board
• Former member, AICPA Minority
Initiatives Committee
More about
Ken Bouyer
• Americas Director of Inclusiveness
Recruiting at EY
• Former Americas Director, Advisory
Services practice
• Chairman, AICPA National
Commission on Diversity
and Inclusion
• Member, American Accounting
Association/AICPA Pathways
Commission
• Board member and Chair, Audit
Committee for the American
Accounting Association
• Board of Directors, Federation for
the Schools of Accountancy and
Practitioner Service Award recipient
• Lifetime member, National Association
of Black Accountants and Association
of Latino Professionals for America
• Former board member and
International President, Beta Alpha Psi
• Member, various university accounting
and deans’ advisory boards
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 25 Building a better
working world
EY is committed to
building a better
working world and
so are our alumni.
In each issue of
Connect, we bring
you stories of alumni
who are helping
to build a better
working world in
extraordinary ways.
From EY to
How the Walleighs use their
skills to fight global poverty
words: Tanya Hart photos: Robert Thomas
When former partner Rick Walleigh and
his wife, Wendy, retired after successful
high-tech careers in Silicon Valley, they
found themselves wanting to do something
big — something that would reduce poverty
throughout the world, something that could
lead to world peace.
26 alumni.ey.com
Former partner Rick Walleigh is helped into a native
Swazi costume at the Umhlanga Reed Dance,
Swaziland’s most important annual cultural event.
Swaziland
Building a better working world
The goal was Herculean, of course, but
the Walleighs, even years before leaving
the corporate world, had begun feeling
the tug to do something more meaningful.
This would eventually take them to Africa,
to mentor students and help poor-butdetermined entrepreneurs start and sustain
their own businesses.
Time for an encore
Rick had spent 14 years in EY’s San
Jose office as a consultant to high-tech
companies; one of his major projects was
working to re-engineer Samsung’s global
supply chain. Later, he moved on to a startup and then to a small software company.
Wendy had worked in high-tech marketing
for most of her career and later became VP
of Marketing and Development for the local
chapter of Junior Achievement, a not-forprofit that inspires and prepares young
people to succeed in a global economy.
They both retired at age 57, but when
you’re accustomed to working hard, it’s
difficult “just to stop,” Rick noted. Despite
having a cornucopia of hobbies (30-mile bike
rides, backpacking, skiing), the Walleighs felt
they had encore careers in them.
And so, receiving housing and small
stipends through an organization called
TechnoServe, the couple moved to Africa in
2006. Over the next year and a half, Rick
worked in Mbabane, Swaziland, and Nairobi,
Kenya — providing advice to businesses
as diverse as a bakery and a company
that makes pressure-treated telephone
poles — and even a piggery. Wendy used her
marketing expertise to help launch Junior
Achievement of Swaziland.
TechnoServe’s mission is to work with
enterprising people in the developing world
to build competitive farms, businesses and
industries. The idea is to help people help
themselves — through mentoring, advice
and access to knowledge.
The organization’s aim is to take the
small business owner’s passion and make
it work. You could say, Rick remarked,
that TechnoServe focuses on building a
better working world for poor people in
developing countries.
“In that way, the organization has a lot in
common with EY,” he said.
28 alumni.ey.com
In the book the couple penned after
their adventures, From Silicon Valley to
Swaziland: How One Couple Found Purpose
and Adventure in an Encore Career,
Rick explains his philosophy: “The way
to reduce poverty is to promote private
enterprise, which generates economic
activity, and then sustainable economic
growth and opportunity.”
Ultimately, people who are prosperous
begin working together, regardless of
religion or different ethnic backgrounds,
and that leads to peace, he says: “The
economic incentives tend to overpower the
incentives in other directions.”
“Thank God you came”
The projects were surprisingly similar to
what he’d done in the States. At EY, Rick
consulted with fast-growing high-tech
companies on improving management
performance in a growth environment —
focusing on re-engineering processes,
implementing systems and motivating
people to support change to become
more productive.
Above: Rick and Wendy demonstrate how hand-carved
wooden frogs can sound like the real frogs in Swaziland.
Right top: The Walleighs with !San! Bushmen in the
Kalahari Desert of Namibia. The group (including Rick
and Wendy) had just returned from hunting with the
tribesmen for African porcupine and springbok.
Right bottom: The Swazi Junior Achievement team
celebrates winning the Pan-African Junior Achievement
Company Competition.
In Swaziland, those same basic principles
applied. In addition, he put in place better
financial reporting, better financial control
and more structured project management
for TechnoServe’s field offices.
But there, it felt different.
One day, a young man approached
Rick and introduced himself. He said,
“You probably don’t remember me, but I
remember you. I was in the (TechnoServe)
business plan competition, and you were
teaching one of the classes.”
The man had been thinking about
starting a mobile hair salon, where he’d
go to customers’ homes and cut hair in
off-hours — an untapped market. “He didn’t
have the confidence before, but now that
he’d gotten some of the training, he was
going to do it,” Rick said.
“The man told me, ‘I thank God that you
came here.’ And I was just overwhelmed.”
Wendy and Rick talked of the drive and
determination they witnessed. Many people
lived in slums with no electricity or running
water, and yet they would emerge from their
homes every morning, well-groomed and
well-dressed. They would jump into buses
and away they would go, off to work. “It
was amazing to see — people coming out of
those conditions and productively working in
a business environment,” Rick said.
It pays to stay for the second act
“Here in Silicon Valley, you can kind of get
wrapped up in, ‘What’s the newest iPhone
app? Who just became a billionaire through
the latest IPO?’” Rick said. “And then you
go out into the wider world and learn there
are a billion people who get by on 2 dollars
or less a day … it just gives you a better
perspective on what’s important in life, and
how fortunate we are here.”
Since returning home from their
18-month stay in Africa, Rick has gone
back six times, and Wendy five, to provide
consultation and advice.
These days, Rick works part-time for
TechnoServe as an advisor to the COO,
earning minimum wage and focusing on
internal projects — again, very similar
projects to those he did when he was
consulting in Silicon Valley all those years.
Wendy is on the Advisory Council for
JA in Silicon Valley and does marketing
projects, including working long-distance for
several months with Junior Achievement
of Swaziland, in addition to co-writing the
couple’s book.
Much of the book is about urging other
retirees to embark on meaningful encore
careers. “I think so many of us here who are
very active and very successful in business
have a lot to offer,” Rick declares.
“It doesn’t have to be across the world in
Africa. It can be in the low-income areas in
your own city. There are many not-for-profits
out there that could really use your skill and
expertise, not just at the board level, but if
you really roll up your sleeves and dig into the
details of their daily work, you can have an
immense impact and a lot of fun.”
Rick also has advice for his fellow EY
alumni: “Never forget what you learned
at EY, both the technical skills and the
principles, and use those learnings to the
best of your ability to make the world a
better place.”
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 29 In the fall of 1986, two
young college students
were interning at the
EY Cleveland office.
They got to know each
other, shared the typical
break-room chatter and
occasionally ate lunch
together. One of those
interns was Mark A.
Weinberger, who now
serves as EY’s Global
Chairman and CEO. The
other was Joe Previte,
who would go on to
become a much different
kind of leader.
words: Jay Seither
photos: Greg Murray
FatherJoe
Previte
30 alumni.ey.com
Soul
man
In 2000, after 14 years at EY, Joe Previte —
now Father Joe Previte — felt a calling to
the priesthood. He spent the next six years
in seminary and now is pastor of Holy
Rosary Church in Cleveland. The parish sits
in the Little Italy section of the city, which,
according to Father Joe (as he likes to be
called), is surrounded by some “very poor
sections and many elderly people that we
minister to.” The church also serves the
students of nearby Case Western University,
who frequently are involved in the parish’s
community outreach programs.
Heeding the call
Growing up “close to the church,” Father
Joe says it came as a bit of a surprise — both
to his family and to him — that he initially
felt drawn to the accounting profession.
to go. “I remember Frank looking at me and
saying, ‘I think you’re most at peace now
than you’ve ever been.’” Father Joe was
ordained in 2007 and has been pastor at
Holy Rosary since 2010.
Accounting for the faithful
Perhaps surprisingly, Father Joe says his
EY experience has been very useful in his
role as pastor. While at EY, he was primarily
involved in providing expatriate services —
helping people who were relocating to
other countries. What he discovered was,
in addition to the routine tax matters, many
of his clients were dealing with strong
emotional concerns: How will we fit in? Will
our lifestyle change? How will the children
be educated? What if there’s an emergency?
“These are all people issues,” notes Father
ultimately more productive. “And that
touches everything you do — at home, at
work and in our communities.”
The tie that binds
While he doesn’t use it much these days,
Father Joe still maintains his CPA license.
And he says his accounting background
comes in handy when managing the
business side of his parish. He also notes
that EY was very supportive of his decision.
In fact, Cleveland partner Dave Currie, who
Father Joe says taught him to “do the right
thing for the right reason,” wrote a letter of
recommendation for Father Joe’s admission
to seminary.
In addition to Dave Currie, Father Joe
appreciates the support and mentoring
he received over the years from Michael
As the world becomes more digitally and less personally connected,
Father Joe warns of the need to keep the human element intact:
“We must humanize relationships,” he maintains.
“I just really liked working with numbers
and business,” he remarks. He received his
Bachelor’s degree in accounting from John
Carroll University — even teaching there
part-time — and a Master’s degree in Tax
from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, which led to his internship and
eventual employment with EY. He spent
12 years in the Cleveland office, mostly
in the Tax Human Capital group, and then
transferred to Houston as a senior manager.
It was there, according to Father Joe, that
“more and more, I just felt something was
missing.” He started thinking seriously about
the priesthood.
His problem was, he was in Houston and
felt the need to be back home. Then, “out of
the blue, I got a call from Frank Roddy and
Art Anton — both EY alumni — to do some
consulting work for them back in Cleveland.
For me, that was a sign,” says Father Joe.
After he explained his situation, they said,
“Fine, come be a consultant for us for a few
months while you figure it out.” A short time
later, when it became clear in his mind that
he should enter the priesthood, Father Joe
walked into Roddy’s office saying it was time
Joe, “the same types of issues many in my
parish have.” Father Joe’s EY experience
helped him recognize the importance of
understanding what a person is going
through, of identifying the underlying issue.
“Part of my job was to help people see
through to what the real problem was. It’s
not always easy, but only then can you really
help someone,” he says.
Gaining perspective
As a priest, Father Joe sees his role as
helping others gain perspective through
the lens of faith. “If a person is spiritually
and emotionally stable, they are going
to be more at peace with their lives and
function better, with a better disposition,”
he says. Father Joe also sees a direct
connection to the business world. He notes
that if people are upset with some aspect
of their life — an unhappy marriage or a
sick child — that’s going to spill over to their
job … and vice versa. “It’s part and parcel;
they’re interconnected,” he observes. He
believes that by helping people be more
content with who they are, more in tune
with themselves, they will be happier and
Abdalian (current Cleveland Alumni Executive
Sponsor and Human Capital Central Region
Leader) and retired partners Rich Marrapese
and Arthur Agulnek. And Father Joe still
breakfasts occasionally with fellow alumni
Richard Klingshirn and Tony Miranda.
Some fatherly advice
Father Joe believes one of the most
important lessons he learned at EY, and
one that continues to serve him well today,
is never to underestimate the value of
relationships. “Remember, your clients are
people. We don’t work with corporations or
pieces of paper; we work with people and the
people who create the paper.” As the world
becomes more digitally and less personally
connected, Father Joe warns of the need to
keep the human element intact: “We must
humanize relationships,” he maintains.
Looking back over his career, Father Joe
admits, “I never thought I’d be doing this.”
However, he says the values ingrained in him
at EY — integrity, honesty, confidentiality —
are all crucial, no matter what you do ...
whether it’s leading a global accounting firm
or leading the flock.
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 31 In focus
Our network of 22 Alumni
Councils, comprising more
than 400 of your fellow
EY alumni, help us stay
connected. In recognition of
their contribution, we want to
introduce you to some of our
Council members who are truly
helping us carry on the spirit of
high-performance teaming.
Noteworthy Alumni
Council members
Myron Galchutt and
Vaughn Reynolds keep
alumni connected
Building
for the future
Around the time Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. were merging
in the late 1980s, Myron Galchutt was just out of college, a young auditor
working for the state of Texas.
words: Tanya Hart photos: Robert Thomas
When he interviewed for a real estate tax
advisory position in the firm’s Los Angeles
office, he remembers his interviewers
giving him both Ernst & Whinney and
Arthur Young business cards. By the time
he was hired, the firm had officially become
Ernst & Young.
It was a time of change, says Myron, now
a high-profile real estate executive and chair
32 alumni.ey.com
of the EY Orange County (California) Alumni
Council. These days, on the Council, Myron
is still talking about change — in the form of
more diversity and even more connection
among those who used to work at EY.
“The face of the C-suite executive has
changed over the past 15 to 20 years, and
I think it’s important to be in tune with that
change,” he says. “The face of the Council
should reflect the face of the firm — you get a
much more representative view of the world.”
Flying up the corporate ladder
But first, a little bit about what Myron did
after leaving EY.
After that year in LA, he went to Grubb &
Ellis Company, one of the top commercial real
estate firms in Orange County at the time,
to provide strategy and real estate advisory
Myron
Galchutt
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 33 In focus — Notewothy Alumni Council members keep alumni connected
services to corporate America. His team
became the broker for Kaiser Permanente’s
then-46 million square feet of real estate — a
big win for a young professional.
From there, he flew up the real estate
corporate ladder — to a New York-based firm
called Studley, then as founding partner
and Managing Principal, Executive Vice
President of Newmark, which, through a
series of mergers and acquisitions, is now a
global real estate firm known as Newmark
Grubb Knight Frank (and owned by BGC
Partners/Cantor Fitzgerald), where he
serves as Senior Managing Director. His
clients range from local companies to a
Fortune 10 energy giant.
EY in his blood
Nonetheless, he still finds himself thinking
about his time at EY 20-plus years ago, and
as it turns out, there’s a family connection:
Myron’s great-uncle, Lester Swanlund, was
an executive in the EY Chicago office (then
Ernst & Ernst). “Even though I wasn’t at EY
very long,” Myron remarked, “I feel like I’m
attached to the firm for life.”
Myron’s family was hugely influential in
Myron’s career, as well as in his life. His mom,
a Panamanian immigrant, was a bookkeeper.
“She would say, ‘Listen, you ought to get
your accounting degree because it’s always
going to be a good background, whatever
you do.’ And you know? She was right,”
Myron said. Because of her, he majored in
accounting in college. His father was in law
enforcement — first in Los Angeles as a police
officer, and later as police chief in five cities
in California, Texas and Michigan.
networking events where alumni can meet
with CEOs and CFOs to talk about potentially
becoming company board members.
It’s all about the networking, he says, as
well as the nostalgia — he tells alumni that
the events allow you to experience EY again.
“EY only recruits the best, and I’m not
just talking about the smartest, but quality
people,” he says. “When I meet someone
who has an EY pin or somehow identifies
that they were a part of EY at some time
during their career, their stock goes way
up in my mind because I know they’ve
been vetted through the process. There’s
a really good chance that this is a quality
person I’m talking to — on many levels.
“Clearly I’m proud,” he adds. “I wear my
pin on my suit every day.”
Faith, family and fishing
In addition to his Council efforts, he’s done a
lot of not-for-profit board work, particularly
with the Boy Scouts of America, for which
he served as district commissioner, and with
the Red Cross. In fact, Myron served on the
Red Cross of Orange County board for nine
years, including three as chairman, and also
on the advisory council to the Red Cross’s
national president and CEO.
He’s also heavily involved in his church,
serving on the board of elders and leading
a Bible study group. For Myron, faith and
professional life go hand-in-hand. “Who I am
in business is not the exclamation point of
what my life is,” he declares.
Outside of work, he’s an outdoors guy
who likes to hunt birds, play tennis and ride
“You get to experience EY again”
After leaving the firm, while lunching at a
particular restaurant in Irvine, California,
Myron would often run into EY people —
current and alumni — that he knew. They
began inviting him to EY events, where he
ran into still more EY people he knew. And
the rest is Alumni Council history.
Today, as Orange County Council chair,
Myron takes advantage of his travels around
the country to meet with other Councils
and EY leaders to learn about best Council
practices and stay up on EY developments.
In addition to seeking to add more diversity
to the Councils, he supports the idea of
34 alumni.ey.com
An avid outdoorsman,
Orange County
Alumni Council chair
Myron Galchutt has traveled
the world — from Alaska
to Bora Bora — angling
for a catch. Here he’s on
the Snake River in Idaho
showing off a rare Spotted
Westslope Cutthroat Trout
(which he later released).
horses. He also loves to fly-fish and deep-sea
fish in places like Bora Bora and Norway. He
has two kids — Morgan, 20, and Julianne, 17.
Although his daughter is still in high school,
she is considering the accounting profession.
When it comes to EY and his role on the
Council, ultimately it’s about connection.
“I’m very proud of my time there,” he says,
“and I’m proud of our family’s connection to
the firm.”
Myron Galchutt (in hat) with his mother,
father and son, Morgan.
© 2015 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EDNone
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and former colleagues on
the EY Alumni Network:
Register
Connect
Get involved
Go to ey.com/alumni
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 35 Vaughn
Reynolds
From
playing
forward
to
paying it
forward
Vaughn Reynolds’s EY
roots help drive his
passion to build an
endowment fund for
tomorrow’s accounting
students.
words: Eboni T. Thomas
photos: Chris Savas
36 alumni.ey.com
A “typical” day in the life of Charlotte Alumni
Council member Vaughn Reynolds? It doesn’t
exist. As a Senior Vice President at Bank of
America Merrill Lynch, Vaughn manages a team
that provides a wide range of financing and
treasury management solutions to clients with
US$50 million to US$2 billion in revenues. “The
most rewarding part of my day is understanding
the needs of our clients and delivering solutions
to solve those needs,” he says. What “makes”
his day? Being able to help others. Whether
helping companies grow their business or
helping people achieve their educational and
professional goals, Vaughn believes in teaming
to win and paying it forward.
Running in the family
A typical evening for Vaughn is a bit more
predictable. You’ll probably catch him
spending time with his wife, Krista, whom
he met at the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington. Or you might find him chasing
their three-year-old son, fittingly named
Chase, or their five-year-old daughter, Taylor,
who loves to dance. Fast feet don’t fall far
from the tree, considering that Vaughn is
pretty good at soccer. How good? He played
forward for Athens Drive High School in
Raleigh and scored the game-winning goal,
leading to a state championship in 1993.
Shortly after, UNC Wilmington recruited him
on a soccer scholarship — and he holds third
place on its all-time leading scorers list —
proof positive he teams to win.
In 1997, one of his professors, Dr. Fara
Elikai, introduced him to UNC Wilmington
alum Malcomb Coley — then an EY senior
manager, now Charlotte Office Managing
Partner (OMP) — who ultimately recruited
him to the firm. “Vaughn and I had a
lot of similarities in our upbringing and
background,” Malcomb reflects. “Vaughn
reminds me a bit of myself at his age. One
thing I really admire about him is he never
forgets the theory of giving back and how
he can help so many others, which he does
in a remarkable way.” Vaughn, in turn,
says, “What I didn’t know then was that
Malcomb would become a lifetime mentor.
We’re very close friends to this day.” How
close? Together, they and fellow alumnus
Dave Pirrung established a scholarship
endowment, named after Dr. Elikai — UNCW
accounting professor — to assist a student
majoring in accounting at their alma mater
who demonstrates academic ability, special
achievement and financial need. “This is
just one of our ways of giving thanks for
everything EY has done for our careers,”
says Vaughn. He also credits EY partners
Amy Baker, Raleigh-Greensboro OMP and
Carolinas Market Leader, and Bob Thorburn,
Carolinas Market Advisory Leader, for their
mentorship and personal interest in his
career development.
Vaughn’s financial services career path
was not exactly typical. “I always had an
interest in math,” he recalls, “but one of my
athletic guidance counselors recommended
I look into accounting. And from day one,
accounting just clicked for me.” He earned
his BS and MS in Accounting from UNC
Wilmington and went on to earn a JD
from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill Law School, after which he
completed the bar exams in both Florida
and North Carolina.
Looking back, moving forward
Vaughn joined EY’s Raleigh office in
Assurance in 1999 and spent nearly three
years servicing both public and private
clients. Through scholarship funding,
EY helped him obtain his Master’s in
Accounting. “I really enjoyed my experience
in Assurance,” he says. “EY was also very
flexible in allowing me to work within Tax for
a year to gain exposure. Wanting to expand
my knowledge base within capital markets
was really the deciding factor for my going
to law school. In law school, I remained
connected with my fellow colleagues at
EY.” Though he doesn’t currently practice
law, Vaughn says the experience helped
develop his analytical skills: “The critical
thinking skills it takes to deliver to clients
and provide thought leadership carry over
in my role today. And as you can see, my EY
experience is key.”
After EY and completion of law school,
he joined a commercial real estate law firm
in Florida, then moved back to Charlotte
and worked as a structured finance
attorney, where he gained insight into
banking. From 2007 to 2011, Vaughn was
a corporate attorney at Hunton & Williams
LLP, where he counseled and advised
clients on structured finance and capital
markets transactions. Recruited to Bank of
America Merrill Lynch, he started in a role in
which he worked on subsidiary governance
initiatives, then moved into his current role.
Staying in the EY family
Vaughn joined the Charlotte Council in 2014
not only to stay connected with EY and
provide market updates, but also to give
back. “Looking back at the people at EY
who take an interest in my career path still
to this day, I really wanted to give back and
help other alumni get better connected,” he
explains. “That’s important because all EY
people will be alumni someday. The sooner
you start working to keep those connections
after leaving EY, the better.
“A key goal of our Council is to convene
alumni in small gatherings, such as our
networking event at BB&T Ballpark,” he
remarks. “Many alumni are changing careers,
and EY obviously has access to roles in
accounting and finance to help them find
a good fit. The Council helps people realize
that even if you leave, EY is still committed to
your career and advancement. I didn’t view
it just as employment; I viewed it as lifelong
relationships with individuals.”
Alumnus Vaughn Reynolds (left), Charlotte
Managing Partner Malcomb Coley (right) and
alumnus David Pirrung (not pictured) established
a US$100,000 scholarship endowment to help
a University of North Carolina at Wilmington
accounting student who demonstrates academic
ability, special achievement and financial need. For
more information about joining other EY partners
and alumni in contributing to the endowment,
contact Malcomb at [email protected].
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 37 What does disruption
mean to today’s directors?
EY 2015 Board and Governance Forum
How do top businesses and their boards
deal with the disruptive forces that could
affect corporate strategy, risk oversight
and board composition? To help our
alumni serving on corporate boards deal
with such issues, we are hosting the 2015
EY Board and Governance Forum on
October 8-9 in New York City. This year’s
theme: “Disruption – board effectiveness
in an uncertain world.”
The EY Board and Governance Forum, presented by EY’s
Americas Alumni Relations and the EY Center for Board Matters
(CBM), is our signature event for alumni serving on Fortune 1000,
Russell 3000 and equivalent corporate boards. Our 2015 Forum,
our fourth, will convene leading directors, CEOs and subject
matter experts, including a notable activist investor, for a rigorous
and balanced discussion of the issues. Participating alumni may
also invite a fellow board member or their organization’s CEO
(even if they are not EY alumni) as their guest.
If you are an EY alumnus serving on a Fortune 1000 or Russell
3000 board and have not already received an invitation and
would like to, please contact Kristen Bell at +1 212 773 4324 or
[email protected].
38 alumni.ey.com
Forum featured speakers
William A. “Bill” Ackman
Founder and CEO of Pershing
Square Capital Management
Guy Kawasaki
Former Apple “Chief Evangelist”
EY Global Chairman and
CEO Mark A. Weinberger
(left) talks about leadership
with Robert Kraft,
Chairman and CEO of
the Kraft Group and New
England Patriots owner, at
our 2013 Forum.
EY Center for Board
Matters: engaging with
and providing insights to
board members
(Photo above,) Meet the leaders of the EY Center for Board Matters (left
to right): Ann Yerger (Executive Director), Mark Manoff (Americas Vice
Chair and Center leader) and Ruby Sharma (Principal).
Featured panelists
Mark Boxer, PhD
Executive Vice President
and Global Chief Information
Officer, Cigna
Mary B. Cranston
Immediate past Chair and
CEO, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw
Pittman LLP
Julie Hembrock Daum
North America Board Practice
Leader, Spencer Stuart
Adam Posen, PhD
President, Peterson Institute for
International Economics
Brigadier General (retired)
Gregory J. Touhill
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Cybersecurity and
Communications within the
National Protections and Programs
Directorate of the Department of
Homeland Security
Alumni panelists
Jan Babiak
Denny Beresford
Jim Boland
Cynthia Glassman
Bob Guido
Sue James
Lew Kramer
Anne Marie O’Donovan
Jim Turley
The EY Center for Board Matters is committed to bringing
together and engaging with board members and investors
to exchange ideas and insights, and we are pleased to cohost the 2015 EY Board and Governance Forum. The CBM
team assists board members as they fulfill their oversight
role and tackle new and challenging issues. We offer
insight sessions for board members and provide frequent
content that offers timely, data-rich content and analysis.
The CBM also supports events that provide board
members, investors and other stakeholders with
opportunities to interact and share leading practices with
their peers. This includes sponsorship of events with the
Financial Times, Tapestry Networks and hosting “Dialogue
Dinners” to discuss critical board-related issues.
To further assist board members, we recently announced
an exclusive global sponsorship of the Bloomberg Board
Directors’ Forum and digital hub. The hub features targeted
news articles for board and audit committee members
selected by senior editors at Bloomberg Business news.
Content, resources and information about the Bloomberg
hub are available at ey.com/boardmatters.
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 39 Our more than 250,000 EY
alumni across the Americas
are always on the move. In this
section, we highlight some of the
recent promotions, appointments
and other achievements of your
friends and colleagues.
Alumni news
Mark Bartlett has been appointed to the
board of directors for FTI Consulting, a global
business advisory firm. He also serves on
the boards of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and
Rexnord Corporation.
Jennifer Banner has
been appointed to the
board of directors of
Communications Sales &
Leasing, Inc. She also
serves on the boards of
BB&T Corporation, Branch
Banking & Trust Company and the Federal
Reserve Bank of Atlanta (Nashville branch).
Joe Barsoian has been admitted to
the Stanford Management Science and
Engineering Program.
Jana Alfingher Bell has
been appointed Executive
Vice President and CFO for
RMG Networks, a global
provider of intelligent visual
solutions. She was
previously Executive
Vice President and CFO for EF Johnson
Technologies, Inc.
Pollock still
swinging away
Retired Dallas, Texas, Tax
Partner Ray Pollock is
featured teeing off on the
cover of the August 2015
issue of Southwest Now
magazine. In the article, he
credits golf with “saving his
life” by helping him cope
with the pressures of being
a busy executive. At age 95,
Ray still plays twice a week.
John Bishop has been
appointed CEO of Long
Beach (California)
Memorial, Miller
Children’s & Women’s
Hospital Long Beach and
Community Hospital Long
Beach. He previously served as CFO for all
three hospitals and Seaside Health Plan.
Derek Bouchard-Hall has been named CEO
and President of USA Cycling. He is a former
member of the US national cycling team and
US criterium champion.
George Boyadjis has
received the Financial
Executives International
(FEI) Distinguished
Service Award. He serves
as Corporate Services
Director of Cresa, a global
real estate advisory firm.
Stephen Bramlage, Jr.,
has been named
Executive Vice President
and CFO for Aramark, a
food, facilities and
uniform service provider.
Kevin Brenan has joined PruittHealth
as Senior Vice President of Finance.
He previously served as CFO of Emory
Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia.
40 alumni.ey.com
Johnston authors
leadership book
New alumni
snapshot
Former partner Keith Johnston has written
A Garage Full of Ferraris — How to unleash the
potential in high-performance teams to drive
extraordinary results. The book highlights
the careers of a group of people who have
achieved significant success in their lives
and who understand leadership. It includes
many references to Johnston’s experiences
at EY, as well as interviews with former EY
managers and partners.
David
Neuman
Senior Director,
Information Security
Operations
Rackspace Hosting
Level at departure: Executive Director
Craig Campbell has
joined Tegra Medical, a
contract manufacturer
for the medical device
industry, as CFO.
Colleen Darragh has been promoted to
Vice President and Controller of United
States Steel Corporation. She previously
served as Acting Controller.
Shaun Davis has been elected board
chair of the Urban League of Broward
County, Florida.
Christophe Cases has been appointed
CEO for Greater China with the Havas
Media Group. Cases joins Havas following
his previous role as Managing Director of
Accenture in Greater China.
Richard Cogdill has been named CFO
for The Scoular Co., a supply chain
solutions provider and supplier of grain,
feed ingredients and food ingredients.
Elizabeth Copeland,
Strasburger & Price
LLP Partner, has
been nominated by
President Barack
Obama to become a
Judge for the United
States Tax Court. At Strasburger,
Copeland handles federal income tax
matters and tax planning and deals
with the Internal Revenue Service on
administrative appeals and in litigation.
Paul Cuitino has been named CFO
for AFX, Inc., which produces LED,
fluorescent and other light sources.
Francesca DeBiase has
been promoted to
Senior Vice President,
Worldwide Supply Chain
and Sustainability for
McDonald’s.
Susan Fox has been named President
and CEO of White Plains Hospital.
She had previously held the role of
President since 2013.
Martin Fritz has been appointed
President and CEO of WBI Holdings,
Inc., a pipeline and energy services
business of MDU Resources Group, Inc.
He joins the company after 15 years
with EQT Corporation.
Michael Hansen has been appointed Vice
President and CFO of Cintas Corporation,
a leading US provider of corporate
uniforms and other business needs.
Last EY office: San Antonio
Current residence: San Antonio, Texas
Most valuable lesson I learned at EY
EY and my partners taught me how to
create value propositions for business.
It’s not enough to be an expert in your
chosen field … you have to go beyond
that and tie it to business objectives.
EY’s impact on my career
I would not be in my current role if
not for my experience at EY. The
personal and professional advice from
teammates and the opportunities in
the market made me a better leader
in my current position.
To me, being an EY alum means
I am and always will be incredibly
proud to be an EY alum. In my current
position I offer career advice to many
of my colleagues — and EY is always at
the top of the list.
Most people don’t know
I served in the military for 28 years.
It will always be part of me. EY helped
me understand the value veterans bring
to the EY team. Today, there are many
veterans who are proud to be part of
that great team, including me.
How I’m helping build a better
working world
Military service is a calling, not just a
profession, but there are many ways to
serve. We all must learn to give back. At
Rackspace, we call it “Rack gives back.”
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 41 Alumni news
Larry Haynes presented
the commencement
address to the 2015
graduating class of
Southwestern University in
Georgetown, Texas. He is a
board member of the
Goodman Networks.
Dan Heinrich has been appointed to
the boards of directors for Energizer
Holdings, Inc., and Edgewell Personal Care
Company. He is also a director at Aramark
Holdings Corporation.
LaVerne Horton Council has been
confirmed as Assistant Secretary for
Information and Technology, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, by
President Barack Obama.
Martin Howard has been named CIO of
Amedisys Inc., a home nursing provider.
Shelley Hulgrave has been promoted to
Corporate Controller of Penske Automotive
Group, Inc. She most recently served as the
company’s Corporate Accounting Manager.
Hyepin Im has been appointed to the
community advisory board of Union Bank.
She is President, CEO and founder of Korean
Churches for Community Development in
Los Angeles, California.
Joseph Johnson has been named Senior
Vice President and Corporate Controller of
Mattel, Inc. He previously served as Vice
President, CAO & Treasurer for Chiquita
Brands International, Inc.
Brian Kenner has been appointed
Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic
Development for the city of Washington, D.C.
Jeffrey Kreger has been named Senior Vice
President, CFO and Treasurer of BioScrip,
Inc., a leading national provider of infusion
and home care management solutions.
Sam Lazarakis has been appointed to the
board of directors of Digi International, an
M2M solutions provider.
Christopher Lewis has been promoted
to Executive Vice President of IFG
Companies, where he previously served
as Chief Risk Officer.
Anne Marie Wolanski King has been named
Controller of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Tucson, Arizona.
Cynthia Lucchese has been appointed
to the board of directors for Intersect
ENT, Inc. She is the Chief Administrative
Officer and Chief Financial Officer for
Hulman and Company.
Christine Komola has
been appointed to the
board of directors for
Acquia, a cloud platform
provider for building,
delivering and
optimizing digital
experiences. Komola serves as the CFO
of Staples, Inc.
Jim McGrann has been
named President and CEO
of VSP Global, a provider of
eye care insurance,
high-fashion eyewear,
customized lenses,
ophthalmic technology and
retail solutions. He was previously President
of the company’s Vision Care branch.
Golovan named CIO of the year
photo: Baron Photography
42 alumni.ey.com
In April, Kathy Golovan was named 2015 CIO of the Year by
Crain’s Cleveland Business in the Large Business category. She
currently serves as CIO and Executive Vice President of Care
Management for Medical Mutual. Award presenters described
Golovan as an “extreme innovator whose forward-thinking
approach keeps her one step ahead of the game.” Golovan is
also a member of the EY Cleveland Alumni Council.
Tricia Mulcare has been appointed Principal
at Homrich Berg, a national independent
wealth management firm.
Scott Nguyen has been promoted to CFO
of Westport Properties, Inc., a real estate
and management services company. He
previously served as the company’s Vice
President and Corporate Controller.
Eric Payne has been named to On Wall
Street’s “Top 40 Advisors Under 40” list.
He currently serves as Managing DirectorWealth Management for the Payne-Mencias
Group with the Financial Advisory Team at
Merrill Lynch.
Eric Peburn has been named to Becker’s
Hospital Review 2015’s “150 Hospital
and Health System CFOs to Know.” He
is Executive Vice President and CFO for
Halifax Health.
Ken Quaglio has been promoted to CEO of
Siteworx, LLC, a digital experience agency
specializing in web and mobile tactics. He
has served as the company’s President
and COO since 2014.
Terry Rappuhn has been
appointed to the board
of directors and audit
committee for Akorn,
Inc. She is an
independent consultant,
speaker and author and
has served as Project Leader and
Consultant for the Patient Friendly Billing
Project since 2002.
Michael Ritter has been
elected treasurer of the
US Executive Board for
The Israel Tennis Centers
Foundation. He also
serves on the boards of
Parkwood LLC, Perlman
Music Program/Suncoast, Jewish
Federation of Sarasota-Manatee (Florida)
and Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Costa writes book
on decision-making
Retired partner Michael Costa
recently authored Never Be Wrong
Again: Four Steps to Making
Better Decisions in Work and Life.
The publication hit the “Hot New
Bestseller” list on Amazon Kindle,
including the #1 spot in the US,
Canada and Australia. It reached #2
in the UK. The book is described as a
“user-friendly guide to making better
decisions, more efficiently.”
Brent Rosebrook has been named Acting
President for PRO-TEC Coating Company,
a joint venture between United States
Steel Corporation and Kobe Steel, Ltd.,
of Japan.
Jerome Rossi has been appointed
to the board of directors for Agree
Realty Corporation. He is the Senior
Executive Vice President and Group
President of the TJX Companies.
New alumni
snapshot
Kathy Orta
Senior Manager, SEC
Reporting and Technical
Accounting
Tech Data Corporation
Level at departure:
Senior Manager
Last EY office: Tampa
Current residence: Tampa, Florida
Most valuable lesson I learned at EY
EY taught me to think critically
and to assess an issue from multiple
perspectives. This is the foundation
of the technical strengths that I
utilize daily.
EY’s impact on my career
I worked across a variety of industries
with diverse clients and colleagues.
This allowed me to broaden my
horizons. I had some wonderful
experiences with clients and
colleagues, many of whom I have
maintained contact with.
To me, being an EY alum means
Being forever connected to my former
EY colleagues and having access to an
incredibly talented network.
Most people don’t know I …
Am a huge fan of live music. I have
traveled extensively to attend concerts
all throughout the US and in the UK.
Allie Rutherford has
been appointed to
Principal at CamberView
Partners, a corporate
governance advisory
firm.
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 43 Alumni news
Barry Saunders has been elected Senior
Vice President and CFO of Sonoco, one
of the largest global diversified packaging
companies. He previously served as the
company’s Vice President and CFO.
Amy Schwetz has been promoted to
Executive Vice President and CFO of
Peabody Energy. She previously served as
one of the company’s financial executives.
Sangita Shah has been appointed
Director of Forward Industries, a
manufacturer and distributor of
specialty and promotional products.
Eric Siebert has been
appointed Vice President of
Corporate Strategy for
Energy Recovery Inc., a
leading pressure energy
technology company.
Traci Sowersby has been
named Vice PresidentController, CAO for
ArcBest Corp., a freight
transportation services
and logistics company.
David Tierno has been inducted as a
member of Saint Joseph’s University’s
(Philadelphia) distinguished alumni.
Dean VandeKamp has joined Contegix as
Cybersecurity and Compliance Director.
Contegix is a cloud computing, colocation
and managed hosting company that
delivers Go Beyond Support to a wide
variety of global customers.
Peggy Glander Ward has
been appointed CFO of The
Cross Country Group,
parent company of Agero,
Inc. She previously served
as CFO and Administrative
Officer for Agero.
Scott Whyte has been elected to the board
of directors of the Workgroup for Electronic
Data Interchange, an IT organization focused
on improving health care information
exchange. He is Senior Vice President of
Growth and Innovation for ClearDATA.
Mark Young has been appointed Director of
External Reporting and Principal Accounting
Officer for Cooper Tire.
Haley Varner has joined
The Hampshire Companies,
a private real estate
investment firm, as
Portfolio Manager.
Harkleroad and Haworth
support Folds of Honor
Former tax partners, Chicago Alumni Council members
and good friends Lee Harkleroad and Steve Haworth
are working to raise awareness of Folds of Honor, an
organization they are heavily involved with that provides
educational scholarships to the military families of those who
have been killed or disabled while on active duty. Haworth
is founder of the Chicago chapter and serves as Chairman
of the national board. Meanwhile, Harkleroad is taking his
support of the organization on the road — literally. At the
time of this writing, Harkleroad was in Hawaii training for the
2015 Ironman Championship, to be held October 10. He is
running to raise awareness and support of Folds of Honor. At
age 61, it will be his 14th Ironman event, which consists of
a 2.4-mile roughwater swim immediately followed by a 112mile bike race, then followed by a 26.2-mile marathon.
For more information on Folds of Honor, you can visit
www.foldsofhonor.org. For those interested in supporting
Lee’s Ironman journey, please visit www.crowdrise.com/
leeharkleroad/fundraiser/friendsofthefoldsofh
44 alumni.ey.com
Issue # – Month Year
Events
GALLERY
EY alumni take great
delight in reuniting
with their fellow alumni
and former colleagues,
whether at a start-class
reunion, an industryspecific forum or a
former-partner outing.
In the past six months,
we’ve hosted over 50
events coast to coast.
To learn about alumni
events in your area,
go to the EY alumni
website (www.alumni.
ey.com). While there,
please make sure your
contact information
is accurate to ensure
that you receive
announcements,
invitations and updates.
Boca Raton
01L–R: Lindsey Peterson (Manager,
Bluegreen Vacations), Edna Malagic
(Senior Accountant, JetSmarter) and
Coral O’Connor (Assistant Director,
Ernst & Young LLP)
01
02L–R: Krissy Kennedy (Manager,
State Income Tax, ADT Corporation),
Cicily Chun (Director, Corporate
Accounting, ADT Security
Services), Jen Bieber (Manager,
Ernst & Young LLP) and Wayne Hussey
(Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP)
Birmingham
03L–R: Ryan Johnston (Senior,
Ernst & Young LLP), Chen Song
(Instructor, UAB), Sarah Centeno
(AVP, Regions Bank — Operational Risk
Management) and Callie Ventress
(Senior, Ernst & Young LLP)
02
Salt Lake City golf
tournament
04L–R: Cameron Janke (SEC
Reporting Manager, HealthEquity),
Casey Wassom (IT Security and
Risk Analyst, Extra Space Storage),
Ryan Schipaanboord (Controller,
Western Metals Recycling),
Tracy Christman (Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP), Howard Stoker
(Partner, Ernst & Young LLP) and
Scott Harwood (Partner, The Haws
Companies)
03
04
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 45 Events Gallery
New York City
The EY Metro New York offices held their
annual Senior Executive Alumni Reception
with Simon Sinek, internationally acclaimed
thought leader and visionary thinker, as
guest speaker. Sinek shared his insights
on how each of us has a critical impact on
people’s experience at work, how to better
empower and motivate employees and how
the millennial culture is changing the way we
develop high-performing teams.
01
02
01L–R: Gary Kozlowski (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP), Tal Kaissar,
Ira Fitlin (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP) and Mike DeStefano (EY
Global Alumni Executive Sponsor)
02L–R: Rick Cannellos (CFO and Senior Client Partner, Epsen Fuller Group),
Simon Sinek (author and guest speaker) and Michael Inserra (EY Americas
Vice Chair and Deputy Managing Partner-Elect)
03L–R: Nav Makol (Head of Banking Capital Markets, EXL Service),
Janette van der Weijden (Global Tax Director, GE Capital — Americas and
Alumni Council member)
04L–R: Nikita Sarkar (Founder and CEO, The NSN Group) and
Lana Moore (Director, Ernst & Young LLP)
05L–R: Kelvin Joseph (COO and EVP of Sales, Steiner Sports Marketing Inc.,
and Alumni Council member), Dev Parekh (COO, Mutual Fund & Retirement
Solutions, Broadridge Financial Solutions) and Chris Jay Jurkiewicz
(Associate Director, Ernst & Young LLP)
04
46 alumni.ey.com
05
03
01
Louisville
01 Row 1, L–R: Carl Weigle, George Motiff, John Yeager, Bob Lee (all
retired), Paula Hanson (Director of Tax Services, Dean Dorton Allen Ford,
PLLC), Bob Montague (retired), Kim Nelson (Kim L. Nelson Government
Relations Consultant) and Raymond Strothman (President and Chairman,
Strothman+Co)
Row 2, L–R: Robert Bader (CEO, Trover Solutions, Inc.), Mike Ayers
(retired), Charles Leis (Vice Chairman, Bramco Inc.), Roy Nett (retired),
Chester Abell and Bob Reh (retired partners) and Tom Pope (Professor,
University of Kentucky)
02
02L–R: Jim Tencza (Director of Assurance Services, Dean Dorton Allen Ford,
PLLC), Becca Eckert (Controller, Sypris Solutions, Inc.), Jesse Ryan
(Managing Director, Parker & Lynch) and Brian Wigginton (Technical
Controller, GE)
Houston reunion at Minute Maid Park
03L–R: Caroline Grahman-Gardner (Assistant Corporate Controller,
BMC and Alumni Council member) and Brenda McDuffie (CFO, Barr
Air Patrol, LLC)
03
04
04L–R: Hanh Langlinais (Employee Benefits Consultant, USI) and
Douglas White (Controller and CAO, Newpark Resources and
Alumni Council member)
05L–R: Ravi Joshi (Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP) and
David Fowler (President, Global Game Changers)
Miami
06L–R: Christina Cocuy (Senior Accountant, LNR Property), Vish Sujan
(Senior, Ernst & Young LLP), Joe Epstein (VP and General Manager,
Carnival North America) and Maria Coronado (Senior, Ernst & Young LLP)
05
06
07L–R: Hector Tundidor (Miami Office Managing Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP) and Monica Vicente (Vice President of Corporate
Finance, Del Monte Fresh Produce Co.)
07
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 47 Events Gallery
01
02
Milwaukee
01 Group shot at The Garden
02L–R: Dan Holzhauer (Senior Vice President, Commercial
Lender — Associated Bank) and David Gay (Milwaukee
Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP)
03L–R: Mike Wimmer (Corporate Tax, Miller Brewing
Company), Mike Friedman (Partner, Scribner,
Cohen and Company), Jill Williams (Senior
Manager, Ernst & Young LLP), Joellyn Johnson
(Tax, Scribner Cohen LLC) and Mary Gorman Roads
(Tax Manager, Groth & Assoc.)
03
Philadelphia event with Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Famer, Herb Magee
04L–R: Pat Pruitt (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP and Philadelphia Alumni
Executive Sponsor), Christine Archbold (Global Controller, Houghton
International and Alumni Council member), Erica Mainardi (Senior
Consultant, DuPont accounting) and Matthew Cohen (Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP)
05L–R: Raman Mahadevan (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP),
Debbie Goldstein-Martino (Director of Tax, Berwind),
Ross McKinney (Senior Director, Tax, Incyte) and
Lynn Lawrence (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP)
04
Greater Washington, D.C.
06L–R: Sarah Bonner (Bonner Inc.), Sue Mahn (Owner/
Consultant, SMM, LLC) and Kevin Virostek (EY Greater
Washington Office Managing Partner)
07L–R: Judi Bradley (Director of Global Tax, Cvent
and Alumni Council member), Amy Zoracki (Senior
Manager, Ernst & Young LLP) and Chirag Parikh (Senior
Director Compliance and Internal Audit, NeuStar and
Alumni Council member)
05
06
48 alumni.ey.com
07
Detroit explores
its opportunities
The EY Detroit Alumni Event took place on
May 19 at The Beacon @ One Woodward.
More than 200 EY alumni and employees
enjoyed the opportunity to network and
reconnect. Attendees also heard an update
on Opportunity Detroit from Matt Cullen
and were able to ask questions about the
continuing growth plans for the area.
01 Matthew P. Cullen (President & CEO,
Rock Ventures LLC) discusses Opportunity Detroit
02L–R: George Lenyo (Detroit Office Managing
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP), Ron Linford
(retired partner), Mike Fitzpatrick (retired)
and Lynne McMullin (President, Tricho Salon & Spa)
03L–R: Christine Reilly (Manager — SEC Reporting,
Perrigo), Lisa Leverenz (Senior Manager,
Ernst & Young LLP) and Hollie Bartoni (Controller,
Forgotten Harvest)
02
01
03
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 49 Events Gallery
Nashville hosts panel
on board directorship
The Nashville office hosted a senior executive event
featuring a panel discussion with alumni Gary Fayard
and Jan Babiak, who both serve on corporate boards.
It was an opportunity for our executive alumni to learn
about the process for obtaining a corporate board
position, choosing which board role to pursue and
increasing board effectiveness.
01
01L–R: Karole Lloyd (EY Southeast Managing Partner), Sam Devane
(Nashville Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP) and
Randy Marshall (VP Controller, Express Courier)
02L–R: John Gawaluck (retired partner and board of directors at Amsurg),
Dana Fields (Chief Compliance Officer, Premise Healthcare) and
Bill Shipp (Independent Director, First Acceptance Corporation)
03L–R: Kim Holleman (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP and Nashville Alumni
Relations Executive Sponsor), Gary Fayard (Retired CFO, Coca-Cola and
board of directors, Genuine Parts) and Jan Babiak (board of directors at
Experian, Walgreens and Bank of Montreal)
03
50 alumni.ey.com
02
01
Tampa baseball outing
01 Seated, L–R: Jamie Palm (Director of Finance — Carrabba’s Italian Grill at
Bloomin’ Brands), Dick Dobkin (board of directors, Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store), Marion Albanese (board of directors, Fifth/Third Bank), Rob Gagliardi
(CFO, Tampa Bay Rays), Jeremy Pfeifer (Corporate Controller, ArrMaz) and
Carlos Zummaraga (Senior Director — Global Accounting and Assistant
Controller, Syniverse Technologies)
Standing, L–R: Stephanie Pavlakos (Director of Global Finance — SEC &
Financial Reporting, Sykes), April Jones, Oscar Suarez (Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP), Herb McLachlan (retired partner), Mike Brennan
(North Florida Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP), Heather Lively
(Professor of Accountancy, USF), Steve Nichols (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
and Tampa Alumni Executive Sponsor), Michelle Denner (Financial Reporting
Manager, Jabil), Pete Jordan (Chief Financial Officer, RCH Capital, LLC),
Rick Gonzalez (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP), Phil Pace (VP Corporate
Controller, Bloomin’ Brands) and Al Narvades (CFO, Jagged Peak)
02
02L–R: Michelle Clapper (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP) and Regina Marrow
(Director IT Operations, Gerdau)
Baltimore at the Baltimore Museum of Industry
03L–R: Tim Shepard (Manager, Ernst & Young LLP), Craig Combs (SVP,
Market Leader, iHealth Technologies) and Charisse Wernecke (Faculty,
Stevenson University)
03
04L–R: Jenn Schied (Senior Tax Accountant, Prometric Inc.), Lynn Tuozzo (Vice
President of Tax, GP Strategies Corporation and Alumni Council member) and
Beth Zentz (Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP)
St. Louis event at Missouri History Center
05 Jim Turley (former EY Global Chairman and CEO) and Kathy Day (Certified
Professional Coach — Career, Life, & Executive Coaching, Coach K Day)
06L–R: Randee Steffen (Independent Consultant), Michael Nolfo (Enterprise
Holding, Inc.), Robbye Frank (retired) and Brenda Livingston (Senior
Manager, Ernst & Young LLP)
05
04
06
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 51 Events Gallery
01
02
Greater Los Angeles young alumni event
01L–R: Jess Unruh (Chief Accounting Officer, Green Dot Corporation),
Robert Choi (Investment Banking Analyst, Imperial Capital LLC) and
Jay Lee (VP Business Development, SOX Hub)
02L–R: Michael Green (Senior Accounting Manager, Spark
Networks), Christopher Camacho (Manager, Ernst & Young LLP),
Joyce Lam (‎Accounting Manager, The Walt Disney Company) and
Carmen Gomez (Senior Accountant, REVOLVEclothing.com)
03L–R: Theresa Lee (Senior Accountant — Financial Reporting, Kilroy
Realty Corporation), Angie Gonzalez (Alternative Investments,
Heritage Group), Ali Osman (Private Debt Real Estate, Ares
Management LLC) and Daniel Shandling (Financial Advisor, Merrill
Lynch Wealth Management)
03
San Francisco
04L–R: Ayaz Manji (Assistant Controller, Engine Yard Inc.) and
Randall Gaines (Consultant, Randall A. Gaines, CPA)
05L–R: Nhi Tran (Senior Accountant, Virgin America), Alistair Connal
(Global Revenue Accountant, Google), Isabel Shum (Senior Financial
Reporting Analyst, Franklin Templeton) and Steve Marzo (Financial
Analyst, Union Bank)
06 San Francisco Alumni Council members, L–R: Larry Cirelli (Partner,
Hanson Bridgett), Lucky Sandhu (Co-founder and President,
Reliance Financial), Javier Garcia (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP),
Michele Bordalo (Senior Manager, ARC Consulting LLC),
Favian Garcia (Controller, Validant), Bob Elya (retired partner and
Alumni Council chair), Darcy Lopes (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP and
San Francisco Alumni Executive Sponsor), Bonnie Kennedy (SVP
Venture Capital Services West, Square 1 Bank), George Sundby
(Treasurer and Director, St. Vincent de Paul Society of San
Francisco), Ryan Lew (Manager, Ernst & Young LLP) and
Christy Mignacca (Corporate Controller, Yoodle)
04
05
06
52 alumni.ey.com
Bay Area alumni get
sneak preview of new
Levi’s Stadium
01
Over 350 Bay Area alumni reconnected in the Yahoo! Fantasy
Football Lounge at Levi’s Stadium, the new home of the San
Francisco 49ers. The alumni were some of the first to go behind the
scenes of this state-of-the-art venue cited as creating “the ultimate
fan experience through innovation, technology and an environmental
focus.” On the tour, alumni explored the locker room, hit the field
and learned about the impact of the NRG Solar Terrace.
02
01L–R: Monique Rossman (Founder, Leading to Solutions),
Mike Gubbels (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP and San Francisco
Alumni Relations Executive Sponsor) and Braden Rippetoe
(former Vice President — Finance, Maxygen, Inc.)
02L–R: Mark Fernandez (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP and
San Francisco Alumni Executive Sponsor), Wendell Austin
(Revenue Manager, ServiceNow, Inc.) and Andrew Cheng
(Supervising Senior, Financial Operations, Connor Group)
03 L–R: Jeff Fong (Senior Manager, FP&A, San Francisco 49ers)
and Damien Vinson (Senior Revenue Manager, Yahoo!)
04L–R: Rhonda Munnerlyn (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP),
Carl Hekkert (Group Controller, SVB Financial Group),
Scott Janssen (Managing Director, Connor Group),
Lisa Schwartz (West Region Brand, Marketing and
Communications Director, Ernst & Young LLP), Mark Garfield
(Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer,
Symantec), Ken Miller (Senior Vice President, Finance,
Juniper Networks), Daniel Schiappacasse (Client Service
Director, Resources Global Professionals) and Mike Gigliello
(Assistant Controller, A10 Networks)
03
04
05 San Francisco alumni hit the field on the stadium tour
05
Connect Vol. 7, Issue 2 53 Events Gallery
Atlanta Tax forum
EY Atlanta hosted its second alumni tax
forum in June. More than 100 Tax alumni
and EY professionals met for an afternoon of
continuing professional education, including a
panel discussion with EY alumni who are board
members of prominent public companies.
01 Doug Johnson (retired partner, AFLAC board of directors)
02L–R: Katherine Fritts (Southeast Region Tax Managing Partner,
Ernst & Young LLP), Susan Finn (Director of Global Tax and Risk
Management, Kids II Inc. and Alumni Council member) and
Susan Parsons (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP)
01
02
03L–R: Sharon Paschal-Bennett (Tax Manager, Ernst & Young LLP),
Matt Mendel (Tax Manager, Ernst & Young LLP), Ryan Halpern (Senior
Financial Planner, Brightworth) and Justin Hempstead (Senior Tax
Accountant, SunTrust Bank)
04L–R: Steve Herman (Georgia/Alabama Tax Leader, Ernst & Young LLP),
Kenneth Abele (Tax Partner, Ernst & Young LLP), Connie McDaniel (Director,
TSYS board of directors), Greg Heston (Partner, Ernst & Young LLP),
Doug Johnson (retired partner, AFLAC board of directors), Mike Trapp (retired
partner, Global Payments board of directors) and Mark Trivette (retired
partner, Vice President Global Tax, Brand Energy)
04
54 alumni.ey.com
03
EYalumni
by the numbers
250,000+
700,000+
500+
200
EY alumni in the Americas
EY alumni in the US serving on the
boards of directors or in the C-suites
of Fortune 1000 companies
10,000
Members of EY Alumni US (official) —
the only LinkedIn group exclusively
for EY alumni in the US. If you’re not
yet a member, we invite you to join
the discussion
500+
Alumni featured in or whose recent
accomplishments have been noted in
Connect since our debut issue in 2009
400/22
Local Alumni Council members
throughout the US and the number of
Councils on which they serve
EY alumni around the world
(and growing every year)
Alumni Champions — EY senior
managers on many larger accounts
who help keep the alumni on those
accounts up-to-date on EY alumni
events, learning opportunities,
career resources and such
5,000+
Alumni who’ve attended a live
learning event, start-class reunion or
reception in the past year
200+
Alumni serving on Fortune 1000
or Russell 3000 boards of directors
who have attended one of our past
three EY Board and Governance
Forums
EY purpose:
Building a better
working world
Get the
Connect
app
You can also read
Connect on your
tablet. And with a Wi-Fi
connection, you can
easily link to the many resources referenced
throughout the publication. To download the
Connect app, go to your preferred app store,
search for “EY Connect” and click “download.”
The EY Alumni
Network
Are you a member?
Join the EY Alumni Network and enjoy
these connection opportunities:
• Events and reunion announcements
• CPE and learning opportunities
• Job opportunities
• Quarterly newsletter
• Networking with nearly 70,000 of your
former colleagues and current EY people
Join the network at
alumni.ey.com
EY US Alumni Relations team
Jeff Anderson
Director, Alumni Relations —
US and Americas
Kristen Bell (Northeast/FSO)
[email protected]
+1 212 773 4324
Darby Frizzell (Southeast/Southwest)
[email protected]
+1 404 541 8315
To view past issues of Connect, go to www.ey.com, select
“About us” at the top of the screen and then “Our alumni.”
From the website, you can access an online version of current
and previous issues. You can also download and print a
pdf file. A limited number of hard copies of past issues are
available by contacting us at [email protected].
Adrienne Jaroch (Central)
[email protected]
+1 312 879 2337
Carey Smith-Marchi (West)
[email protected]
+1 404 817 4125
© 2015 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EDNone
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