PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS

It was a pretty competitive recruiting process amongst all of the accounting firms I interviewed with. In the end the people made the difference. Throughout the interview process, the interaction with the professional staff was incredible, and I felt that PwC offered a real, down to earth team-oriented environment where executives are both approachable and supportive.

How have your circumstances changed since then?

PwC, as a firm as well as our profession, has gone through many changes in the past few years. I am learning something new every day and pride myself in working hard. I take advantage when opportunities present themselves.

What are you proudest about PricewaterhouseCoopers?

PwC's strong commitment to the people working for the company makes me proud. I also feel good about being part of a team that adds genuine value through working on complicated issues for companies all over the world. PwC's key values are teamwork, excellence and leadership. I truly believe that they are all represented in the way we do business here at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Describe your company's diversity initiatives?

PricewaterhouseCoopers is committed to diversity. We know that a diverse staff brings better perspective to the solutions we provide to our clients. Recognizing this, we have put many initiatives in place to achieve our diversity goals. New hires can, among other things, take part in our new hire transition program or our minority circles program. We also offer minority scholarship programs and often participate in conferences organized by minority organizations. Organizations we support include: Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), INROADS, Catalyst, and National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).

From personal experience I can say that PwC has been very supportive in my involvement with ALPFA. Just recently PwC was the lead sponsor of ALPFA's national convention and employees from all over the country attended the event. In addition, many of the local ALPFA initiatives are supported by PwC as well.

Are you seeing any results from your efforts?

Today, 30% of our campus hires are people of color. While this represents progress, we know that there is more to be done. We are continuously working on building upon the success that we've had so far.

Why did you choose to join PricewaterhouseCoopers?

I joined PwC in October of 1998. I was especially attracted to the challenge of the job and the great professional environment. Top-notch people within the accounting profession work at PwC and that makes it a stimulating place to work.

How did PwC meet your expectations from a diversity standpoint?

Back in 1998 when I came on board diversity was an issue that was being addressed internally. In the six years I have been with the firm I have had the opportunity to see so many improvements in that area. PwC has a goal to mirror the communities we serve in, and the company's many national initiatives to attain that goal are starting to pay off. Today we have minority leaders in high levels. That will make a big difference for the people with a diverse background joining us in the future.

Do you have mentoring programs or other programs tailored to new hires?

We have a mentoring program for all new minority associates. By pairing new hires with a mentoring partner as well as a higher associate we hope to develop relationships that will support and develop the individual over time. Receiving good advice is important to everyone. We even have a similar program for individuals at higher levels with the firm.