Partner POV

Chris Mitchell

Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Crowe, LLP

Chris Mitchell is the first chief diversity officer (CDO) at Crowe, LLP. Mitchell has more than 25 years of experience in technology and IT consulting, most recently serving as a consulting principal in Crowe’s technology, media and telecommunications services group. He discusses how belonging is at the heart of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and what firms should do next.

What led Crowe to create this new role? Why now?

Equity and inclusion have always been front and center for the firm. Our CEO, Jim Powers, had a vision for DEI as a key strategic initiative and needed someone to lead the firm’s equity and inclusion efforts. I’ve been involved in DEI in some capacity since I started with Crowe, and I was tapped to participate in a different capacity. My leaders recognized how passionate I was for DEI, and while we have come a long way, our goal is to be much more successful with a strategy and more focused attention.

What motivated you to take on the role?

I’ve been involved in diversity wherever I’ve worked. I’ve served as the executive leader of the African American Business Resource Group, attended diversity conferences and helped build an internship program at a historically Black college, all while I was still client-facing. I had been a consultant and a partner; I was ready for this new spark. I accepted the role before DEI had a spotlight. When I read the description, I thought, “that would be a really good fit for me.”

How can accounting firms be more inclusive in their business development?

The hardest thing to solve is inclusion. You need to make it known your organization is intentional about DEI. Talk with your people, make yourself available and survey them the right way so you can pivot toward whatever that next step is. Realize an individual’s next step may not be yours. You need to huddle up so folks can get together to understand. Sometimes one-on-one discussions can be effective as well.

Do you have a dedicated staff, a committee or both?

The Inclusive Excellence Council is comprised of key executive leaders in the firm and our business unit leaders who lead each service. We make the decisions and work together to build the DEI infrastructure. We also leverage our five business resource groups, who make up our subcommittees, and they’re responsible for our key pillars — education, recruiting, retention, metrics, how we appear in the market, our relationships with historically Black colleges and universities and more. We have a dedicated operational lead who serves as a project manager and two coordinators, as well as a volunteer workforce. There are also councils within the other business units we align with. It’s impressive to see how many people are behind this.

Do you coordinate with marketing, business development, human resources, etc.?

I work very closely with our chief people officer (CPO). I think the CPO and CDO should work closely because the CDO is responsible for refining our culture. Marketing is the brains behind how we craft our messages, how we deliver content and how we share with the market. They helped draft the 104-page transparency report that tells our story, what our journey has been, and what our commitments and resources look like going forward.

What can firms without a diversity officer or a DEI program do to work toward DEI? Who within a firm should lead DEI?

It always starts at the top. You don’t always need a CDO when your leadership and organization understand DEI is important. If HR has to sell your CEO on it, it’s not going to work. The key is training. You have to offer materials and tools so that people can take that next step.

The expectation today is firms are not just thinking about DEI; they’re doing it and doing it well. Previously, a firm could just say, “Yes, diversity is important to us.” But now they’re being asked what commitments they’re making. What is the plan? How are they cultivating that? How are they connected to the community? Companies and people don’t want lip service. Nothing needs to happen overnight, but something needs to happen. I would encourage anyone to take a step in the direction of DEI and work toward understanding how important belonging and inclusivity is. When people don’t feel like they belong, they leave.

Interview by Jacqueline Harnevious