Gender Equality as Smart EconomicsThe World Bank GroupInternational Finance Corporation

Case Studies

PricewaterhouseCoopers - Samuel A. DiPiazza

Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment:
The Learning Journey of PricewaterhouseCoopers

Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

"I believe the business world of tomorrow will be a much more creative place, not just out of necessity, but as a result of increased and more efficient cross-border cooperation and because all voices – including those of women – will be heard and valued. There is no doubt in my mind that we"ll see much more gender parity in leadership that will come as a result of an inclusive culture and that this culture will foster innovation in unprecedented ways."
– Dennis Nally, Chairman
Download Case Study 256 kb

 

Introduction

A global leader in providing industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) employs more than 163,000 people in 151 countries. Women represent over half of their global workforce at the recruitment level, and 15 percent of partners. Although great progress has been made to help women climb the corporate ladder, more work is needed to better tap into this significant talent pool. PwC recognizes this and is committed to ensuring women have the opportunity to build a rewarding career. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's a business imperative that affects their bottom line.

Main Lessons

  • To produce concrete change, the people driving the diversity agenda must be at the upper echelon of the organization, and gender diversity efforts must be inexorably linked to the business strategy.
  • Robust and reliable data should be an essential component of the diversity strategy to enable appropriate self-evaluation and planning.  
  • Identifying themes/stepping stones in the career progression of the most successful senior women helps focus diversity strategy efforts and increase ROI.
 

Win-Win Situation for Business and for Women

  • Guided by the belief that its livelihood depends upon a diverse talent pool, PwC has made gender a priority through strong gender diversity efforts globally and in its territories.
  • Female partner numbers increased by 20% between 2006 and 2009.
  • Rich partnerships with relevant organizations and high-profile research on women in business have established PwC as a thought leader on gender issues.
  • Creating an inclusive culture is helping the firm establish "demographic fitness" by ensuring the talent of women is capitalized upon.

 

Back to Top