Crowe LLP appoints Sheila Enriquez chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer

CHICAGO (Sept. 8, 2022) - Crowe LLP, a leading public accounting, consulting and technology firm in the U.S. with offices around the world, today announced it has appointed Sheila Enriquez to the position of Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. The firm also announced the addition of two new leaders that will further bolster the firm’s efforts related to DE&I, purpose and sustainability –  Rachael Gibson as Deputy Chief – Firmwide Leader of DE&I, and Farrell Calabrese to the newly created role of Purpose and Sustainability Leader.

“DE&I and sustainability are firm priorities and critical elements of our strategy. They are also core parts of our DNA,” said Crowe CEO Mark Baer. “Championing DE&I and sustainability is more than just the right thing to do. Our people, clients and the market demand it. It aligns with our values and makes us a better firm. We are all stewards of the firm and under Sheila’s leadership, with Rachael and Farrell, we’re confident that together we will drive the necessary momentum towards our goals.”

In January 2022, Enriquez joined Crowe as Texas Market Leader and a member of the firm’s management committee as part of the transaction with Briggs & Veselka. She will continue in that capacity in addition to serving as CDEIO. Enriquez is a proven business leader who is passionate about fostering an inclusive environment and is actively engaged in supporting DE&I initiatives across the profession.

Gibson joins Crowe from Marcum, a top 15 accounting firm, where she served as the Director of DEI responsible for developing and executing a DE&I strategy for the firm. Calabrese joins Crowe from Eastman, where she served as the Global Corporate Sustainability manager for the past five years, responsible for translating corporate commitments into business value by driving clarification, alignment and accountability of progress towards multi-stakeholder expectations and industry standards.

“As Crowe continues to focus on and enhance our DE&I, sustainability and corporate responsibility programs, it is essential that we integrate them into every part of our firm – from our people strategy and recruiting, to client service delivery and operations,” said Katie Hamada, Crowe Chief People Officer. “We must ensure our words and commitments are followed up by action – and having the right leadership in place to drive progress and accountability is critical.”

In February 2022, Crowe introduced its first ever DE&I transparency report where it committed to real metrics and accountability on DE&I progress. And, in March, Crowe established an ESG center of excellence to help implement best practices and set standards and accountability in its own sustainability practices and additionally provide integrated ESG-related services to its clients.

“I’m honored to take on this critical role as we strive to drive progress across our firm and across the profession,” said Enriquez. “We are in the people business, and to ensure we’re providing an unrivaled experience for our people and our clients, it is essential that our workforce resembles the communities in which we live and work and that we continue to foster an inclusive work environment. To be at our absolute best, we need diversity – in every sense of the word.”

Baer added, “We’re proud of our progress but recognize we have so much work to do, and that’s why we’re aligning the right leaders and making the necessary investments.”

About Crowe
Crowe LLP is a public accounting, consulting and technology firm with offices around the world. Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities. The firm and its subsidiaries also help clients make smart decisions that lead to lasting value with its tax, advisory and consulting services, helping businesses uncover hidden opportunities in the market – no matter what challenges the markets present. Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the best places to work in the U.S. As an independent member of Crowe Global, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, Crowe serves clients worldwide. The network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 130 countries around the world.