Leading through cultural 
connection and mentorship

When Ashley completed her studies in accounting, she’d never considered working for a Big Four firm. She became involved with the anti-money laundering practice at a smaller consulting company and quickly moved up the ladder but had a nagging feeling that she wasn’t able to realize her true potential there.

“What sold me on Deloitte was believing I’d be able to achieve my two main goals: to get a different breadth and flavor of clients I could support, and two, to get international exposure,” she says. After she joined the organization ten years ago, she was able to help build the casino and gaming portfolio and spent two years in Germany as the sole U.S. resource for a major project – and achieved her two goals within a couple of years at Deloitte.

Now, Ashley works to help large banks and foreign financial institutions ensure compliance and adapt to the ever-evolving regulatory environment. Her main goal now? “To make an impact on those I come into contact with, whether it’s a client or a member of my team,” she says.

Before Ashley came to Deloitte, she hadn’t been as involved with DEI at work. But after joining the Asian business resource group (now a part of our inclusion council network), she was tapped for a leadership role, and quickly found her passion.

“Working to foster a community for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) professionals where we can learn and develop- it's deeply important to me,” she said. “When you provide opportunities for people to thrive, flourish and take on leadership roles, it makes a tremendous impact.”

As a leader in the East/Southeast Asian and Allies Community, Ashley works to develop roles for members and act as an inclusive leader for community members across Deloitte. A native of Chinatown in New York, Ashley remains closely connected to her community and lives close by. When attacks on the AAPI community increased, she worked to push people to address the topic directly. “It was a really scary time,” she says. “We worked within my community to be receptive to concerns and challenges, and people were really reaching out, asking how we were doing or feeling. I saw both sides of inclusivity then.” She's also worked with a non-profit organization to raise funds for businesses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But she finds her greatest passion in being a mentor. “For me, being an inclusive leader means being able to collaborate and support others when they encounter challenges, and help everyone have a voice,” she says. “And it goes well beyond driving relationships. I have been able to forge and create networks with potential clients in addition to internal relationships. But the greater impact is looking at how many people I've been able to reach and be a part of their career journeys.”