- Written by the team at PwC
In a series of people stories, we find out more about what it means to our people to 'be myself' at PwC.
Travelling and getting to know people is paramount for Ben, not only during his PwC career, but also outside of work and his friendship circle. Ben is Co-Chair of our LGBT+ network, Shine, supporting our UK network but also using his networks to support other territories with their colleagues and clients. He lives at home with his husband Darren and their dog Henry and cat Max.
Recently Ben moved into Compliance Services in our Birmingham office and leads on the adoption of the Engagement Center in the UK. This itself is a client collaboration portal used across EMEA and is currently beginning a full roll out in the UK under Bens careful eye.
Being part of a larger international project has meant that Ben has had the opportunity to create work relationships and friendships outside of his immediate team, which has brought surprises.
“Since joining PwC in 2017 I’ve been positively surprised that it doesn’t matter what grade you are at the firm, everyone is approachable and wants to find out more about you as an individual.”
And it’s these conversations around Diversity and Inclusion which Ben is keen to encourage.
“We can never, ever be right and politically correct all the time, but we can strive to be a better, more open version of ourselves. When someone says something not quite right, feel able to question or talk about it, don’t go for the jugular.”
Over the last few years PwC has created an honest and open platform for everyone to be themselves at work. Encouraging others to speak up, share their story and also recognise the importance of having a voice.
One of Ben's proudest achievements at PwC so far has been attending the Global LGBT+ Summit in New York in 2019. 200 PwC employees from 28 countries around the world came together to celebrate all things LGBT+, celebrate progress and also recognise where there was still work to be done.
“Attending the Summit was incredible. The event culminated in marching on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York which in itself was historic to be part of. Bob Moritz (Chairman of PwC) spoke openly about the support of Shine all across the world and many others had the opportunity to talk openly about themselves for the first time.”
You can read more on the Summit here.
Describing his career at PwC as unexpected, enjoyable and diverse speaks volumes. There’s always an opportunity to be involved, an opportunity to meet others and network onto new client projects or simply make new connections. With over 22,000 people part of the UK network there’s always someone willing to listen and talk.
Looking to the future, we recognise there’s still further we can go to support all colleagues at PwC.
“It’s important to get that conversation going. If we don’t say it, tweet it, email it, share it, how do others know to do the same? If we think every article or post we make will have a positive impact on someone else, then the more information we share, the more people we can positively reach.”
So finally, what does it mean to Ben to ‘be himself’ at PwC?
“It’s the ability to bring my true, sometimes overly enthusiastic self to work everyday. And remembering that if you’re having an off day, you can still bring that to work too. Someone will always be there to support you, whether that’s through a quick Hangouts call, award you some GEMs (PwCs internal recognition platform) or even just a smile when you’re most in need of it.”
At PwC, all voices are heard. Be you at PwC.
To find out more about the PwC UK Shine network click here.
Or you can follow our social channels here:
Twitter: @ShinePwC Instagram: @ShinePwC
