Deloitte Names Deborah L. DeHaas Chief Inclusion Officer

New position to create synergies by combining efforts to advance women and diversity

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Apr 18, 2012, 11:23 ET

NEW YORK, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Delivering on its commitment to creating a workplace where all professionals can build rewarding careers and are valued for their contributions, Deloitte has appointed Deborah L. DeHaas to the new position of chief inclusion officer. DeHaas will continue to serve as vice chairman and central region managing partner, as well as a member of the board of directors of Deloitte LLP.

"In addition to more than 30 years of experience in professional services, Deb brings the knowledge, experience and energy needed to lead Deloitte's inclusion initiatives and to inspire other leading companies to increase their efforts," said Jennifer Steinmann, chief talent officer, Deloitte LLP. "She is also passionate and committed to fostering an environment where all of our people can thrive as leaders. Deb has consistently lived these values in leading her region and she is well-positioned to succeed in this national role."

As chief inclusion officer, DeHaas will assume the roles previously held by Deloitte's national Women's Initiative (WIN) leader and chief diversity officer. Under her Inclusion leadership, Deloitte will continue to strengthen its commitment to WIN and Diversity as well as focus on the latest innovative strategies in such areas as flexibility and generational differences. In the past several years, Deloitte has received significant recognition for its leadership in these areas, including passing the 1,000 mark in number of women partners, principals and directors. The organization also received the prestigious Catalyst Award – for the second time, twice placed in the top five on Working Mother's "100 Best Companies" list, earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index and moved up to No. 8 on DiversityInc's "Top Companies for Diversity" list.

"Under the leadership of my predecessors, Deloitte has made tremendous progress in building a diverse and inclusive workplace where all of our professionals can have rewarding careers and are valued for their contributions to our culture and our clients," said DeHaas. "Today, the business case for diversity, inclusion and women's advancement is stronger than ever as our clients look at the multidimensional diversity of our teams when selecting service providers. I am honored to help Deloitte further its commitment to innovation and leadership in an area that is critical to the ongoing success of our business."

DeHaas leads more than 9,000 professionals in 23 offices across 12 states as the central region managing partner, and is responsible for overseeing the quality, client satisfaction, growth, marketplace and talent initiatives in the region. She also serves as the lead client service partner or advisory partner for a number of Deloitte's largest clients.

DeHaas will remain based in Chicago, where she is active in the business and civic community, currently serving on several significant boards and committees.

About Deloitte's Talent Initiatives

As the nation's largest professional services organization, our ability to attract, develop and deploy high-performing talent is critical to delivering superior performance and serving our clients with distinction. Our aim is to offer challenging work to our people, enhance their careers and fuel our business growth by fostering an environment where leaders thrive. This is a meaningful part of the Deloitte culture, and a value understood, shared, and recognized by our clients and our professionals. For more information on Deloitte's award-winning Talent initiatives, please visit deloitte.com/us.

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