RSM Selects Representatives to Join the CEO Action for Racial Equity Fellowship Program

CHICAGO – (November 5, 2020) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – is pleased to announce it has selected six individuals to represent RSM in CEO Action for Racial Equity, a fellowship program launched by CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ (CEO Action).

The six RSM representatives will work alongside fellows from other firms to identify, develop and promote scalable and sustainable public policies and corporate engagement strategies that will advance racial equity and improve societal wellbeing. Fellows will focus their efforts on relevant societal issues in the areas of education, health care, economic empowerment, public safety and more.

The following representatives were selected based on an extensive list of criteria, including their professional and personal attributes that support the goals of the fellowship; their ability to build trusting relationships and be authentic and inclusive leaders; and their participation as active members of one or more of RSM’s employee network groups (ENGs):

• Tanya Coker-Fergusson (manager, audit; Boston)
• Jalaal Madyun (senior instructional designer; Minneapolis)
• Daniel O'Brien (director, learning and professional development; Baltimore)
• Maria Phillips (manager, consulting; Chicago)
• Monique Williams (senior analyst, innovation; Atlanta)
• Wei Xue (supervisor, consulting; Baltimore)

“We’re incredibly proud of Tanya, Jalaal, Daniel, Maria, Monique and Wei for their dedication to advancing racial equity, and driving meaningful, positive societal change,” said Joe Adams, managing partner and CEO with RSM US LLP. “We’re confident that each of them is committed to making a difference, and we’re excited to hear about their experiences and accomplishments throughout their fellowships.”  

RSM received immense interest in the fellowship program from employees across the firm who were willing to step aside from their current roles to dedicate themselves to improving societal wellbeing.

“We were inspired by our people’s stories, and it was difficult to narrow the candidate pool to just six individuals,” said Adams. “Advancing racial equity is a high priority for RSM. The firm-wide interest in this fellowship program underscores our people’s passion to pursue a more inclusive society and workplace.”

According to CEO Action, a recent survey noted that 71% of employees place more trust in companies to respond to racial injustice than in the government (36%). Leveraging CEO Action’s platform, the coalition is activating its 1,300+ signatory base to collaborate and advance social justice through public policy together. With nearly 250 employees from 100+ organizations coming together to advance this goal, it is the biggest fellowship of its kind.

To learn more about RSM’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion efforts, visit our website.