This Pride Month, we’ll bring you a range of stories from our employer partners!
These stories will showcase how they proudly support LGBTQIA+ people within their teams and everything they do to ensure that diversity, equality and inclusion stay a crucial focus throughout their organisations.
To kick us off, we caught up with three champions from EY as they shared their experiences of working for the company and what diversity, inclusion, and equality mean to them!
Hear from the first of them, Michael Liffen, in our chat with him below!
Unity at EY
Unity is EY’s network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT+) people and their straight allies. Unity aims to create a sustainable, inclusive culture where LGBT+ individuals at EY can bring their whole selves to work.
We chatted with Michael Liffen, Senior Manager in the Business Transformation Team, to learn more:
Hi Michael! Can you tell us more about your role and involvement with Unity at EY?
I’m Michael (he/him), a senior manager in our Business Transformation team within Business Consulting, based in Sydney. I’ve been with the EY organisation since 2018, and I’ve been involved with Unity shortly after joining EY. In 2019, I became the Sydney co-chair and late last year was appointed to the Oceania lead role.
In my capacity as lead for Unity Oceania, I work with the Deputy Lead to support the city co-chairs to develop Unity, collaborate with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness team to advance LGBT+ matters, and represent the membership group to our firm’s leadership.
Unity strives to build a better working world through membership by shaping the conversation on LGBT+ matters, advancing equity, and fostering belonging and inclusion daily.
Why was Unity introduced at EY, and how does it help individuals in the business?
The EY Unity network is strategically focused on positively impacting the wider LGBT+ community and using our platform to advance LGBT+ inclusion in the places where we live and work.
Recent initiatives include: She Starts Out program to support LGBT+ women entrepreneurs; the Unity Mentoring Program, now in its third year, supporting LGBT+ in accelerating their careers; and the many impactful Oceania-wide events that made up our WorldPride at EY program.
Can everyone take part in and support the Unity program?
Unity is for everyone — those who identify as LGBT+ and their allies.
Being a member not only connects you with a great network of people and loops you into some of the organisation’s most popular events, but perhaps most importantly, the impact your visibility as a member has on your colleagues who are LGBT+ cannot be understated.
Supporting ALL at EY
Providing an inclusive, supportive environment at EY is for EVERYONE.
From interns to graduates, consultants and team leaders – EY is committed to creating a workplace culture that supports everyone at every step of their career journey.
Find Out More
EY’s purpose is to build a better working world.
Their insights and quality services help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and economies worldwide. They develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on their promises to all their stakeholders.
Through four integrated service lines — Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax — and EY’s deep sector knowledge, they help their clients capitalise on new opportunities and assess and manage risk to deliver responsible growth.
Ready to be welcomed and supported to succeed as your whole self? See where a career with EY could take you via our dedicated employer profile!
