Maria Castanon Moats Named Chief Diversity Officer of PwC

NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Maria Castanon Moats has been named Chief Diversity Officer by PwC US.  Ms. Moats, a partner in the firm's Audit practice, will lead PwC's diversity and inclusion strategy, which is focused on attracting, developing and advancing the most talented individuals - regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender or any other dimension of diversity.  In addition to her role as Chief Diversity Officer, Ms. Moats will continue as the engagement leader on a New Jersey-based retail and consumer client.

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Ms. Moats succeeds Niloufar Molavi, who served as Chief Diversity Officer of PwC since 2009. Ms. Molavi has been appointed as the firm's new U.S. Energy Leader and Market Managing Partner (MMP) for Greater Houston.

PwC US Chairman Bob Moritz noted that "diversity is the key to sustainable global growth for any organization," and said PwC's approach to diversity "is a primary element of what helps us to deliver the best talent and highest quality to our clients."  He added, "Maria is an energetic, passionate and dedicated advocate for diversity and we look forward to her strong leadership in this role."

Ms. Moats becomes the first Latina to serve as the Chief Diversity Officer at PwC.  Born in Mexico, she has traveled extensively for clients throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America, which has broadened her unique culture perspective.   She is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in accounting.

Ms. Moats and her husband, Brett, are passionate advocates for child adoption and recently adopted an infant daughter, Alayna.  They also have a five year old son, Quinton.

"PwC has been a wonderful place for me to advance my career while continuing my deep commitment to my family," said Ms. Moats.  "I'm proud to build upon our culture that promotes flexibility so that our talented professionals can grow their career with the firm throughout their life events."

Ms. Moats has more than 20 years of accounting experience and has been a trusted advisor to many clients, including Fortune 500 companies.  She is highly regarded as a results oriented and energetic leader that builds and motivates teams.

Ms. Moats is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Texas, New Jersey and New York. She is a Board Member of the March of Dimes and a member of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting.  

PwC has been recognized as a best-in-class employer by Catalyst, FORTUNE  magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Training Magazine and Out & Equal, among others. The firm has also consistently ranked high among the  "DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®," Bloomberg Businessweek's "Best Internships" and "Best Places to Launch a Career."

For more information about PwC's commitment to diversity, please visit www.pwc.com/diversity.

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© 2011 PwC. All rights reserved. "PwC" and "PwC US" refer to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

SOURCE PwC