Here at Protiviti, we believe accepting and supporting each of our colleagues is vital to our success, and we encourage our people to seek opportunities to connect both inside and outside Protiviti. In this spirit, a team of Protiviti employees recently attended the Out and Equal Summit in Orlando, FL. Despite Hurricane Matthew’s best efforts to steal the show, our team had an incredible experience. Over the next few weeks, we are spotlighting individuals who attended this conference. Next up in our series is Kizzy, one of our favorite Intern Challenge Facilitators and the Diversity Champion for our largest office!
- What was your path to Protiviti? “I attended the University of Miami where I received a BBA in Accounting. Prior to Protiviti, I worked at PwC in External Auditing for financial services clients. I joined Protiviti in September 2013 in the Internal Audit practice. In January 2015, I transferred internally to the Business Performance Improvement solution. I currently focus on financial transformation and process improvement in the financial services industry.”
- Since joining the firm, what has your journey been like? “I have finally gotten the career experience that I wanted. The ability to have challenging and fulfilling career opportunities while having one-on-one mentorship from upper management has surpassed my expectations. In addition to client-facing work, I have made some of the most memorable experiences and friendships through recruiting, facilitating challenges and leading office initiatives.”
- What was your experience at the Out and Equal conference? “I thoroughly enjoyed the conference. I was able to learn about so many initiatives that can be used for Diversity & Inclusion efforts. One of my biggest takeaways was the theme of authenticity and how important it is to be your true self. I also liked learning about the concept of reverse mentoring, a type of mentoring where colleagues are paired with and mentored by other colleagues to better understand a certain culture, race, gender, or societal group or issue.”
- Why was attending this conference important or meaningful to you? “Diversity and Inclusion is important to me. I grew up in the Caribbean, in Trinidad and Tobago, and at age 18, I migrated to New York with my parents. I really thought I knew what it would be like to live in America, but it was still a culture shock to me on how much I had to get used to in my new environment. It was also an adjustment for others to get to know me, to understand my accent and culture. When it comes to diversity, sometimes a natural gap exists, and that’s OK. The important thing is to ask questions and learn about a person. We all have a story to tell!”
