In the US, although CPAs are relatively balanced by gender, only 19% of firm partners are women. We see similar trends in the gender gap when it comes to specialized credentials, such as the ABV and CFF. The race gap in the CPA profession, unfortunately is one that stubbornly remains. Per a July 2019 Bloomberg article, of over 650,000 CPAs less than 1% are black and 7% are Hispanic. The race gap in the profession in general, flows through to a race gap in the specializations.
Diversity and inclusion are key to future proofing our profession as well as our ABV and CFF specializations. As clients, markets and candidates have become more diverse, an inclusive workforce provides a means of sustaining innovation, improving global competency and tapping in to the buying power of a diverse global market. Studies show that companies with diverse management teams have higher revenues, outperform on profitability, and are more likely to have superior value creation. A pathway towards a more inclusive workforce includes a focus on recruitment AND retention.
Jen Bao, Kathryn Byrne, Rumbi Petrozzello and Kirstine Connors discuss the “Women at Mazars” initiative and its success in recruiting and retaining diverse candidates.
In this episode, they discuss:
Why Mazars decided that “Women at Mazars” was an important thing to do
What is “Women at Mazars” and information about the program