At Deloitte, we strive to make inclusion a hallmark of our culture. We stand against racism in our firm and in our communities.

In light of recent tragedies that have affected the Black community, I reconfirmed my commitment to our Audit & Assurance colleagues and the Black community. I also asked all of our people to engage in dialogue, seek to understand diverse experiences, and act in ways that drive equality and inclusiveness within our firm and the communities we serve. My message to my colleagues sparked a number of powerful conversations over the past several days – some of which were long overdue. I’m including my message here in hopes that it invites others to share their experiences and shapes the actions we, as leaders, must take to create a more equitable, safe world. 

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Audit & Assurance Partners, Managing Directors, and Professionals, 

My sincere thanks to those of you who were able to join our Audit & Assurance (A&A) broadcast today. When I was closing out the call, there were a few very important messages I wanted to share – significant enough that I wanted to send a short note to each of you. 

I continue to be deeply concerned around the furthering of social disparity that could result from the pandemic. Unemployment, disease and illnesses, healthcare constraints, and general financial well-being are disproportionately impacting some and not others. Even more troubling is the compounding impact of the recent tragedies that have affected the Black community.

I know these tragedies and atrocities have an impact on our people – and likely have a disproportionate impact on our Black colleagues and their families. For those of you who have been personally affected, I want you to know that I see you. I see the pain you are feeling and I truly and deeply care. Our A&A PPMDs care. Not only do I care, I am committed to continuing this dialogue and identifying targeted actions we as a leadership team and as an organization can do to support our PPMDs, professionals, and the Black community.

I’d like to pay tribute to the victims, their families, friends, and communities. I recognize that these are just the latest in a series of victims, but I think it is important to directly acknowledge them:

• Ahmaud Arbery – 25 years old. Brunswick, GA. Ahmaud loved to run and was a standout on his high school football team.
• George Floyd – 46 years old. Minneapolis, MN. George is remembered as a high school football superstar. He worked at a local restaurant and had hopes of becoming a truck driver.
• Breonna Taylor – 26 years old. Louisville, KY. Breonna was an accomplished EMT for the city of Louisville.

 I am also asking for a call to action.

• Ask and listen: Set aside time with your peers, coaches, local leadership, or other trusted colleagues to express your thoughts and concerns on these topics in an authentic and respectful way. Have the courage to have the conversation even when it is difficult.
• Be empathetic: Understand that the events of the last week have a compounding effect to everything else that is already going on in our country and in the world. We need to appreciate and acknowledge everyone’s unique experiences. Our firm is a safe space that will allow all of our professionals, including our Black professionals, to bring their authentic selves to work without judgement or fear.
• Drive inclusion: The current events speak volumes to our need for societal equality and inclusion. In these very troubling times, please be especially diligent to drive a more inclusive set of behaviors, including recognizing how hard this is on those personally impacted – empathize with each other, reach out to check in on their well-being and make sure they are safe, and most importantly use this as a time to use your voice to drive equality and inclusiveness with your colleagues and within your communities.

As always, please feel free to share any comments, questions, or suggestions. Thank you for all you are doing for our clients, our community, and one another.

Best,

Lara