Ernst & Young LLP's Carl Smith named to Consulting Magazine's 2013 Top 25 Consultants list

NEW YORK, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP announced that Carl Smith, Advisory People Leader for the firm and the Americas Advisory People Leader for the global Ernst & Young organization, has been named to Consulting magazine's Top 25 Consultants list for 2013. Smith was selected for "Excellence in Leadership" for his role as a key architect in building the firm's Performance Improvement business as well as his pioneering efforts to invest in and transform the people agenda for Advisory services.

"We are extremely proud of Carl and thrilled that his passionate leadership and dedication to our most valuable assets – our people – are being recognized by the industry," said Bob Patton, Americas Advisory Vice Chair for the global Ernst & Young organization. "Carl's vision and unique gift for building high performing teams have contributed to tremendous growth in our business and exceptional success in redefining the Advisory experience for our people."

Smith was among nearly 400 nominees considered by Consulting magazine. He was nominated by Patton who was honored by the publication for his leadership in 2011.

As the first consulting executive to join Ernst & Young LLP to build its Advisory Performance Improvement practice, Smith was a key catalyst for the practice's dramatic growth. His extensive consulting experience and strong relationship building skills led to several different roles as the Advisory practice evolved, ranging from client serving partner to COO to his current position as Advisory People Leader.

Smith's leadership in this position has led to many firm-wide and industry best practices under the framework of "Path to People Excellence" and the results have been evidenced by increased levels of hiring and promotions, significant positive increases in professional engagement, sharp declines in turnover, and a multi-year run rate of women representing nearly a third of all direct admit partners. 

"This recognition is truly an honor and I am so humbled and grateful to all my colleagues and clients who are a part of this exciting leadership journey," said Smith. "I am most proud of our Ernst & Young team for the energy and passion they bring to building an Advisory business that is helping our clients and enabling each team member to make a difference."

Prior to joining Ernst & Young LLP, Smith was an executive at Capgemini and Gemini Consulting (now Capgemini Consulting).  He has over 20 years of practice leadership and consulting experience in large scale change management programs, business process improvement, systems integration and mergers/acquisitions. 

Smith is a graduate of Grove City College and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The full list of award recipients and related stories appear in the May 2013 issue of Consulting magazine and is available at http://consultingmag.com.

About Ernst & Young's Advisory Services

The relationship between risk and performance improvement is an increasingly complex and central business challenge, with business performance directly connected to the recognition and effective management of risk. Whether your focus is on business transformation or sustaining achievement, having the right advisors on your side can make all the difference. Our 27,000 advisory professionals form one of the broadest global advisory networks of any professional organization, delivering seasoned multidisciplinary teams that work with our clients to deliver a powerful and superior client experience. We use proven, integrated methodologies to help you achieve your strategic priorities and make improvements that are sustainable for the longer term.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

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Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited that provides professional services to clients in the US.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP