Member News

EY hires new class of elite female athletes and Olympians

EY today announced that it has hired seven elite female athletes into a unique internship program, building on EY’s global program to support elite athletes as they move from careers in sport to careers in business.

The new class of female athletes, all of whom compete in winter sports, include five Olympians and one Paralympian. The athletes hail from four different countries: France, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United States.

Nancy Altobello, EY Global Vice Chair – Talent, says:

“We’ve seen firsthand the success elite athletes have had on our highest-performing teams. The diverse skills and unique experiences they have gained from playing sports at the highest levels are highly transferrable qualities that are beneficial for business. I’m confident that the female athletes who are joining our ranks will help further our purpose of building a better working world for our people, clients and society.”

The selected athletes joining EY for a six-month internship program include:

  • France – Anne-Sophie Barthet – Alpine Ski
  • France – Mirabelle Thovex – Snowboard
  • Switzerland – Florence Schelling – Ice Hockey
  • Switzerland – Phoebe Staenz – Ice Hockey
  • The Netherlands – Anna Jochemsen – Para Alpine Ski
  • United States – Annie O’Shea – Skeleton
  • United States – Keaton McCargo – Freestyle Ski

Expanding athlete programs and diverse hiring and recruitment efforts

Building on its support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, EY hired nine female athletes — including one Paralympian — as part of a six-month internship and pilot program led by the EY Women Athlete Business Network (WABN). The interns received workplace experience, mentoring and career coaching, and, in turn, they made positive contributions to their teams. The pilot program was so successful that seven of the interns were hired to full time positions within EY at the conclusion of their internships.

EY expanded on the Rio pilot program last year as part of its global diverse hiring and recruitment efforts by sourcing qualified male and female candidates from various sports backgrounds and supporting them in their career transition. Through an exclusive collaboration with Athlete Career Transition (ACT) Ltd., an organization that identifies, matches and places athletes in global business environments, EY helps provide elite athletes with professional roles within the organization and the necessary resources to transition from sport into the business work environment.

Dan Black, EY Global Recruiting Leader, said:

“To truly innovate and future-proof our business in this transformative age, we’re seeking not only those qualified candidates with technical experience, but also those with increasingly diverse experiences and mindsets. This impressive class of interns is just one example of the many different types of highly qualified candidate populations we’re tapping into to build our diverse, highest-performing teams.”

Sport provides women an advantage in business

In 2017, EY WABN and espnW released a report examining how sport prepares women to build successful businesses in the high-stakes world of entrepreneurship. According to the report, competing in sport — and learning key behaviors from those who play at the highest levels — can help female entrepreneurs build market-leading companies.

Beth Brooke-Marciniak, EY Global Vice Chair – Public Policy and founder of EY WABN, says:

“The report findings show that female athletes have a unique combination of qualities gained through sport — confidence, resilience, passion, leadership and unwavering focus — have proven essential in breaking through the barriers everyone faces in founding, leading and scaling a business. As a former collegiate athlete, I can personally attest to the many ways sport helped prepare me for my professional career as a global business leader at EY.”

To learn more about EY WABN and how EY is supporting elite female athletes, please visit: https://www.ey.com/br/pt/about-us/our-sponsorships-and-programs/women-athletes-global-leadership-network

Copmliments of EY, a member of the EACCNY