When John decided to join PwC Ireland from industry in 2017, what attracted him most was the diversity of experiences, work and clients the firm offers. Six years on, those same attributes confirm to him every day that he made the right choice.
“From day one at PwC I’ve always been struck by the sheer variety of approaches, thought processes and skills here,” he says. “Everyone shares the common goal of solving problems and delivering real change for clients. You might think my prior experience would be atypical for someone working in business consulting, given that I have a PhD and have taught microbiology and genetics to students. But in PwC Ireland, that's relatively common – we have all types of people working here from different career backgrounds and training, from scientists and former medics to former teachers, engineers and arts graduates.”
“Spin your chair around in a PwC office, and you’re talking to people with experiences and backgrounds you'd rarely encounter anywhere else. It's a real melting-pot of ideas, approaches and opinions.”
Alongside this diversity, PwC’s deeply-held values also show John he’s in the right place. “These days, most companies talk about their values, good intentions, Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) programmes and so on,” he explains. “But in all of the places I've worked, I've never seen such a true desire to live up to those values as I have here. It’s not just lip service and token email signatures. It's genuinely about fostering a workplace where you can bring your whole self to work – no matter who you are. For me, that keeps it real.”
John’s journey to PwC began with a first-class degree in science and microbiology at Trinity College Dublin. From there he followed the academic route of a PhD followed by post-doctoral research along with lecturing, before deciding in 2015 to move into industry, working in clinical trial programme management. While he enjoyed the work, it didn’t give him the opportunity he craved to gain broader experience and make a bigger impact. So after a couple of years, he had a chat with someone from PwC Ireland. “It sounded like they were doing just what I wanted,” he recalls. “So I dove right in, and joined PwC Ireland’s fast-growing Portfolio and Programme Management (PPM) team in Advisory consulting.”
In the years since, John has progressed to Director alongside the role of leading the Pharma & Life Sciences (PLS) sector in consulting, bringing clients in the sector the full benefit of his strong academic and industry background. He’s also co-chair of the PwC Ireland’s Shine LGBTQIA+ inclusion network. “I’ve really enjoyed the process of being heavily involved with Shine, starting as a member to now being co-chair of the Irish Shine network. Today, lots of clients ask us to advise them on how to take the same journey, refining their I&D strategy and setting up inclusion networks (often referred to as Employee Resource Groups or ERGs) for employees. We're actively helping clients do that and I get to be part of that.”
“As co-chair of Shine in Ireland, I’ve been able to lead our Shine inclusion network’s direction and strategy over the past few years, which has been great. I’ve also been able to contribute to Shine programmes in other territories that may be more restrictive in terms of societal pressures. Seeing those other Shine inclusion networks grow has been super-rewarding.”
Alongside being co-chair of Shine, John’s also a member of PwC Ireland’s I&D Council, which sets the I&D strategy and policies across the firm. A great example of the Council’s ability to effect change has been seen over the past year, amid the occasionally fractious public and media debate over trans and gender identity. “We, the employees, were empowered to write and implement a new gender expression and identity policy for PwC Ireland,” says John. “And we reached out to our Shine community, the Transgender Equality Network of Ireland and other community organisations to develop a leading practice suite of supports for people who might avail themselves of that policy.” The new policy was implemented in early 2023, complete with inclusive bathroom signage and many other elements.
A further focus for John is helping PwC Ireland promote inclusion in wider society. “Ireland is a unique story in that we had a referendum on same-sex marriage equality several years ago,” he says. “We’ve capitalised on that by sharing our learnings with other PwC territories.” The firm also partners with and sponsors Dublin Pride each year, as well as raising funds for many charities focused on inclusion. “It's not all super-serious though – there's lots of fun to it as well,” adds John. “For example, we host a Dublin Pride breakfast where close to 300 PwC people, family, friends and even pets come together to be entertained, play games and celebrate the day.” This year Shine also held events around the Eurovision Song Contest and networking to keep our people connected.
John is equally focused on I&D in his day job. “As a leader, a core part of my responsibility is in recruitment and onboarding,” he says. “Key to that is making sure we foster an inclusive environment for people joining, and embed that narrative and way of working for the new associates coming in. When they see their leaders are outwardly inclusive, they mirror that.” And in his personal life too, a passion for diversity shapes John’s interests and leisure activities. “I love travelling: I think seeing and learning from other people and different cultures make me a better person,” he explains. “And with music, I’ll travel a long way to see many different types of artists play live. From heavy metal to bubble-gum pop to classical – I give pretty much anything a chance!”
The message? Difference is to be embraced. And John lives that mantra every day.
LIGHTNING ROUND: quick questions and quick answers
From your experience, how do you sum up Inclusion & Diversity at PwC?
PwC is a place where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is genuinely a core part of our DNA, and something we are really proud of.
What should others know about PwC’s commitment to Inclusion & Diversity?
People should know that at PwC, diverse skills and talent are valued and differences are celebrated. People can bring their whole selves to work each day and work as part of teams that are delivering exciting outcomes.
