STEPHEN R. HOWE, JR.
Retired, Chairman Emeritus, Ernst & Young LLP
Mr. Howe is the retired Chairman Emeritus of Ernst & Young LLP, and formerly Managing Partner of EY in the Americas and member of EY’s Global Board. In the Americas, EY member firms operate in 31 countries, with over 72,000 people. As one of the top professional services firms, EY achieved market leadership in growth, brand, employer of choice, and diversity/inclusion under his leadership.
Howe led the U.S. and Americas Executive Boards for three terms (12 years) and represented EY in regulatory relationships. He served as Executive Sponsor for the Firm’s focus on diversity and inclusiveness. Prior to his role as U.S. Chairman and Americas Managing Partner, Howe served as Managing Partner of the Financial Services Office and led various EY global client service teams.
Howe has been honored by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a Directorship 100 honoree, recognizing him as one of the most influential leaders in the boardroom and corporate governance community. Accounting Today named Howe to their Top 100 Most Influential People list of the thought leaders and visionaries shaping the accounting profession. He has been recognized as one of the top “100 CEO Leaders in STEM” by STEMconnector. Howe was the keynote speaker in 2017 when EY-US was named #1 by DiversityInc and is the 2016 recipient of the A. Leon Higginbotham Corporate Leadership Award, recognizing exemplary leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. He was also honored with the John D. Kemp Leadership Award by USBLN for his commitment and leading disability inclusion practices and the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Leadership Award by The Ireland Funds for his inclusive leadership.
Howe graduated from Colgate University with a BA in Mathematical Economics and from the Stern School at New York University with an MBA in Accounting and Finance. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall, the Board of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Board of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited. Previously, he served on the Board of Governors of the Center for Audit Quality, the Board of Trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation, the Board of the Partnership for New York City, and the Board of Trustees of Colgate University. Howe and his wife, Kate, are active supporters of a number of charities and Howe is actively involved in the development and support of EY's Corporate Responsibility initiatives.
The Howes have four children and reside in Pleasantville, NY.