James Scrivener, PwC

Inclusion Award

While teaching in a secondary school in a disadvantaged community in the North East of England, James recognised the importance of giving his students a voice. He challenged them to recognise and demonstrate their worth and skills to peers, parents and teachers, and on joining PwC, wanted to translate this desire to inspire and empower into meaningful change. He’s driven the firm’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) agenda ever since.

James brings innovation and creativity across all the D&I projects he handles, combined with empathy, integrity and sensitivity. Over the past few years, when uncertainty and challenges have taken our world by storm, James continued his work undaunted. He managed to encapsulate some of the biggest topics of the moment (Sarah Everard, Black Lives Matter) and give his teams a platform to have open and honest conversations, providing a safe space where people could learn more about and from each other.

Aside from those big topics, James also keeps a drumbeat of activity running through his teams, with weekly sessions focused on getting members of the group to talk through different aspects of their life (culture, mental health). The confidence this builds in certain team members can be transformative.

James has set the tone for how PwC will incorporate and embed a D&I mindset in a natural way into the firm’s everyday work and project activity. He shows what people have in common, but more importantly celebrates their diversity, creating a space for everyone to slow down, think and reflect.

View the PwC profile in the MCA Members Directory.