Big Four firm Deloitte and Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business Executive Education have launched the Climb Fellowship program, a leadership development initiative to help mid-career Black and Hispanic/Latinx accounting professionals grow into the next phases of their careers.
The program is intended to help professionals enter senior roles within their organizations through mentorship and sponsorship, a collaborative peer network, and increasing the visibility of talent across the accounting profession. The program's curriculum includes content ranging from management building to examining social systems that may impact diverse professionals in the workplace.
The Climb Fellowship program is part of
“We are very excited about this important step on our path toward increasing racial and ethnic diversity," said Thalia Smith, audit and assurance partner at Deloitte, in a statement. "We know that in order to position diverse talent to be part of the next generation of business leaders, we must take deliberate action to address challenges that may be faced by racially and ethnically diverse professionals. We are proud to collaborate with the Executive Education team at Carnegie Mellon University to provide these professionals with strategies, skills and a collaborative peer network to help support their long-term success."
The inaugural Climb Fellowship class will meet this week and twice more over the next few months. Invitees to the program were nominated by their employers and met Carnegie Mellon's eligibility requirements. While the Climb Fellowship program is primarily meant for Black and Hispanic/Latinx professionals, all professionals will be considered for participation, with the intent to create an annual, recurring program.
“Issues regarding diversity, equity and inclusion have recently entered the public discourse in a much more significant and meaningful way,” said Rosalind Chow, associate professor of organizational behavior and theory and faculty director of the Climb Fellowship program, in a statement. “Today’s business leaders need to understand not just the business case for addressing and improving the situation but also the moral underpinnings. We look forward to working with Deloitte in supporting future Black and Hispanic/Latinx leaders in accounting.”
For more information about the Climb Fellowship application process and eligibility for future sessions, contact Susan Caplan at scaplan@andrew.cmu.edu at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business Executive Education.
