Janet Truncale appointed EY CEO; becomes first female CEO to lead a big four firm

In a historic move, Ernst & Young (EY) appoints Janet Truncale as CEO. This appointment makes Truncale the first woman to helm a Big Four firm. 

According to a Bloomberg report, the London-based accounting giant disclosed that Truncale will take over from Carmine Di Sibio on July 1. 

Di Sibio assumed the role of global chair and chief executive in 2019, ascending through EY’s US business where he served financial services clients, notably including Goldman Sachs.

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Truncale’s Role

Truncale, previously the regional managing partner for EY's financial services organization—overseeing 14,000 professionals—will step into her new position, stated the official announcement.

Expressing her anticipation, the incoming CEO remarked, “It will truly be an honor to lead this amazing organization. I am inspired by the example Carmine has set, emphasizing professional leadership, technological innovation, and embodying EY’s values,” in a released statement.

This development follows the recent decision by the accounting firm to abandon its proposed breakup, which involved plans to spin off its consulting business and a significant portion of its tax practice into a separate publicly traded company.

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Project Everest Challenges:

The initiative, known as "Project Everest," faced challenges after EY’s influential US arm expressed opposition. Internal disagreements among partners, particularly concerning the division of the tax practice and resource allocation for the remaining audit practice, led to the discontinuation of the project in April.

Although the firm halted Project Everest, leaders conveyed intentions to continue groundwork for a potential split, acknowledging the need for additional time and investments to realize such a transformation. The primary obstacles stemmed from partner discord over compensation and the necessary resources for staffing the retained audit practice, proving pivotal concerns for EY’s US affiliate.