Our strategy in action: Responsible Business Committee

In 2021/2022, our Responsible Business Committee (RBC) discussed responsible business matters within client engagements such as purpose, values, reputation, people and society. The committee may invite subject matter experts to the dialogue, depending on the topic to be discussed. The RBC guides and supports engagement teams in applying and executing our shared values and principles. The aim is to give comfort that the opportunities we accept serve our purpose, and if they do not, that they will be adapted or rejected. The RBC ensures that we give the right level of public interest consideration when accepting a client- or engagement.

Jeroen Jansen, chair of the Responsible Business Committee (RBC): ‘I encourage all professionals within Deloitte to bring new clients or engagements to the attention of the RBC if they are in doubt whether we should be working for that specific client or engagement. When there is a dilemma, it’s never clear-cut and always nuanced.

In performing our role as RBC, we include these nuances in every case by taking all relevant stakeholders into consideration, guided by the Company We Keep framework.'

'The Young Deloitte Council (YDC) represents all young Deloitters (colleagues that are 34 years or younger; up to manager). We bridge the gap between them and the Responsible Business Committee. There are periodical sounding sessions to discuss recent cases. As the members of the RBC are more senior, these discussions are to learn and calibrate their point of view. We also support communicating the efforts of the RBC to young Deloitters, to make it easier to reach out and raise any concerns about a project or client they might have. We make sure that the next generation is heard and that its opinions are considered.'

Machteld Eggink (Consultant, Consulting and Young Deloitte Council member) 

Jeroen Jansen: 'Besides the alignment with our shared values, we also take existing commitments, the public interest angle and the voice of our Deloitte colleagues into account. The voice of our Deloitte colleagues is for instance captured through periodic sounding sessions with the Young Deloitte Council.

As we are a large firm, we acknowledge that we will not be able to always serve the voice of all our colleagues. Therefore, all Deloitte professionals are free to decline to work on a specific engagement if that conflicts with their personal values.'