Big Four Diverge on Diversity as Culture War Hits Accounting (1)

The Big Four accounting firms often mirror each other in everything from technology investment to recruiting strategies. Diversity has divided them.

KPMG LLP and Deloitte LLP, which both run US government contracting businesses, culled initiatives meant to foster employment equity after an executive order from President Donald Trump targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs within federal contractors. The other two accounting heavyweights—Ernst & Young LLP and PwC LLP—have left diversity programs and services largely intact so far, sidestepping the federal government’s DEI purge.

The US firms’ nearly 5-year-old DEI commitments were a key strategy to broaden their recruiting pool ...