Kevin Ellis: “Without a diverse workforce, you’re taking a risk on your business’s future”

Kevin Ellis is Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC UK, and a staunch proponent of social mobility in business. Inspired by his father’s journey from poverty to qualified professional, Kevin joined PwC for a qualification of his own, and has stayed for nearly 36 years. He believes social mobility is not just a societal good, but also an economic necessity - serving as both a benefit to the company’s diverse client base, and as an accelerator and escalator for staff. Kevin is particularly proud of the opportunities PwC gives to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including the 9% of staff which grew up receiving free school meals. In this conversation Kevin discusses the “media blackout” around positive social mobility stories, and the issues that causes, he explains the importance of gathering diversity data, and he explores the role personal stories play in promoting the message of social mobility far and wide.