Andrew Meek, Carolyn Ann Norfolk, James Turner and Mark Eilbeck have all been promoted to Partner at EY’s Cambridge office, while Angura Begum has been promoted to Partner at the Luton office.
Across the UK, EY has strengthened its partnership with 267 new appointments, of which 161 are internal promotions and 106 are external hires. This latest round of appointments has expanded EY’s UK Partner population by 10%, increasing the total Partner population in the UK to 1683.
The new appointments reflect the firm’s increased investment in its sectors, service lines and regional business, in areas such as Audit, Financial Services, Technology Consulting, Tax, EY Parthenon, Private Equity, and the Energy sector. 42% (112) of the new appointments are Equity Partners and around a quarter (62) of all the new Partner appointments are based outside of London.
Commenting on the promotions, Stuart Wilkinson, Office Managing Partner at EY in the East of England, said: “As we look to further strengthen our offering in the region, I’m thrilled to be able to welcome this year’s new Partner appointments, all of whom, through their hard work and commitment, have contributed to the growth of our business. This is a fantastic milestone in their career journey.
“The breadth of experience brought by these individuals across Audit, Tax and Global Compliance will be vital in further strengthening our business in the East of England, while supporting the continued growth of our clients.
“I’d like to congratulate Andrew, Angura, Carolyn, James and Mark and look forward to seeing the continued positive impact that they will have on the business, their teams and our clients.”
About the new partners in the East of England
Andrew Meek has been with EY since 2011 working in the UK assurance practice. He has spent time in both the Cambridge and London offices working with a range of large multinational corporations. Andrew’s promotion to partner will allow him to continue to provide assurance services within the East of England.
Angura Begum has been with EY since 2013, working with multinational businesses as well as private middle market companies across industry sectors. Angura’s promotion will continue to see her work on wide range of companies where she can focus on helping them meet the increasing demands and expectations of their various stakeholders.
Carolyn Norfolk joined EY in 2020. She splits her time between the Cambridge and Birmingham offices, leading EY's Indirect Tax team in the Midlands, which she has done since 2021. Carolyn has 20 years of experience advising clients across a range of sectors and her promotion to partner recognises the importance of Indirect Tax to clients across the region.
James Turner has been with EY since 2006 and has worked across the Cambridge, Luton and London offices. James’ promotion to partner will see him lead EY’s Global Tax Compliance and Reporting business in the East of England, where he will continue to work across his diverse portfolio of clients, supporting them on their broader tax requirements.
Mark Eilbeck has been with EY since 2011 and, after spending eight years working in the London office, joined the Assurance team in Cambridge in 2019. Mark’s promotion to Partner will see him continue to work with a range of large listed and private multinational companies across a diverse range of sectors from Technology and Defence to Agriculture.
As part of the firm’s commitment to accelerating its progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, EY has clear targets to increase the proportion of female and ethnic minority Partners in its UK business to 40% female and 20% from ethnic minority backgrounds (of which 15% will be Black) by July 2025. Targets and metrics are used to drive progress at all levels of the business and also form part of the annual performance scorecards for each business unit.
The goals are supported by targeted actions to help drive progress, including leadership programmes, mentoring and sponsorship schemes for both high potential women and ethnic minority employees. EY works with suppliers to ensure job candidates are diverse and continuously reviews proportionality in performance appraisals, promotions and work allocation across gender and ethnicity. EY also continues to invest in seven employee networks, including a 3,500 strong Women’s Network and a Race and Ethnicity Network, which provide professional development and help create a culture of belonging at EY.
Of the new Partners appointed across the UK this year, 33% are women and 28% are from an ethnic minority background, of which 7% (5 Partners) identify as Black / Mixed Black. The new appointments mean that EY’s total UK Partner population is now 28% women and 17% ethnic minority, of which 8% identify as Black / Mixed Black. This compares to 27% women, 15% ethnic minority and 8% Black / Mixed Black in the previous financial year.
Stuart Wilkinson added: “I’m encouraged to see the progress we’re making to increase the diversity of our Partner population, but we know there’s still a way to go. Building a diverse and inclusive culture is a top priority for EY and we’re taking targeted action to accelerate the pace of change.”
