Gender Equality for inclusive leadership: a systemic approach to leadership culture
An initiative that emerged from within, engaging the organization directly and across all levels—from Seniors to Partners—to collectively build a new vision of leadership capable of reflecting the plural and intergenerational identity of our firm. The strength of the project lies in its collaborative and participatory nature: inclusive leadership was not defined from the top, but co-created through a process of listening, dialogue, and co-design that placed at the center the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of those who live the organization every day
A deep connection to the issue of gender-based violence
Addressing gender-based violence also means confronting the cultural and structural mechanisms that feed its deepest roots: inequality, stereotypes, lack of voice, and lack of recognition.
At EY, we chose to act on these underlying causes through a paradigm shift in leadership. Promoting meritocracy, equity, and inclusion means reducing power asymmetries, valuing every talent, and creating environments where respect and active listening are integral to growth and decision-making processes. Inclusive leadership is therefore, in every sense, a cultural response to gender-based violence: it creates fairer environments, professional relationships built on trust, and advancement mechanisms that are truly meritocratic.
The project was created with the aim of thoroughly analyzing professional growth pathways across the different service lines and bringing to light the challenges, barriers, and expectations experienced by people during career transition moments. Its goal is also to co-create simple, concrete, and feasible actions to promote equal opportunities and meritocracy, while strengthening inclusive leadership as a strategic lever for performance and sustainability.
The methodology: from listening to action
The first phase of the project involved four in-person focus groups held in Milan, each dedicated to a different rank (Senior, Manager, Senior Manager, and Partner). The groups—balanced by gender, service line, and office location—used listening and co-design methods such as Leadership Story, Success Picture, and World Café to gather concrete experiences and insights.
From this listening phase, several key themes emerged, including the presence of invisible barriers and persistent gender stereotypes, as well as the need for transparent career models and constructive feedback. In addition, we observed a strong demand for new ways of working that are more sustainable and inclusive, along with a growing awareness that inclusive leadership is a driver of performance and innovation.
The second phase transformed these insights into concrete actions through the creation of three thematic workstreams, each focused on a strategic area:
- Skills & Performance, with a focus on future-proof capabilities, digitalisation, AI, and fair evaluation systems;
- Career & Merit, with clear, accessible growth pathways based on transparent criteria;
- Ways of Working, with new models of flexibility, work–life balance, and intergenerational collaboration.
This phase was entrusted to a group of change agents—colleagues who, through self-nomination or appointment, chose to continue the journey and actively contribute to building the final action plan. The working groups, diverse in rank, service line, and gender, served as a laboratory for cultural and organizational experimentation, where every voice had equal value and the ability to make an impact.
An impact that goes beyond gender
Throughout the process, it became clear that gender equality is only one piece of the broader transformation. Working toward inclusive leadership also means recognizing and valuing different generational needs, diverse work styles, life rhythms, backgrounds, and individual perspectives.
This approach broadened the concept of inclusion beyond gender, fostering a culture of listening and plurality in which there is no single voice, but rather a multiplicity of viewpoints that enrich the organization. Gender Equality for Inclusive Leadership stands as an internal best practice and an innovative model of organizational engagement, now ready to enter its phase of concrete implementation.
The value of the project lies in its ability to unite people, processes, and culture within a coherent pathway of change—built from the bottom up and fueled by contributions from all organizational levels.
So far, the initiative has strengthened dialogue across different levels of the organization, generating shared awareness; it has turned insights and reflections into targeted and sustainable action plans, now ready for implementation; it has created a network of internal ambassadors and change agents prepared to support the rollout phase; and it has laid the groundwork for structurally integrating inclusive leadership into development, performance, and talent management processes.
The next step will be the operational translation of the proposals, turning ideas into behaviors, practices, and policies that make a culture of inclusion an increasingly integral part of EY’s way of being and working.
As Francesca Giraudo, Italy and EW Talent Leader and project sponsor, explains:
“Promoting inclusive leadership is not only a matter of fairness—it is a lever for performance and sustainability. With this project, we aimed to listen to our people, understand their challenges, and translate their ideas into concrete actions. Gender equality is the starting point for building a leadership model that values every talent and makes EY stronger, more innovative, and more responsible.”
At EY, we believe that addressing gender-based violence also means creating fair, transparent, and inclusive environments where every person can grow based on merit, trust, and mutual recognition. This project represents a concrete step toward that future: a shared leadership model, born from the listening of all voices, that transforms corporate culture into a driver of equity, innovation, and collective well-being.