Ernst & Young LLP expands its Americas Climate Change and Sustainability Services team with key leadership appointments

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) New York, NY - November 30, 2011 - Ernst & Young LLP announced today the appointment of Brendan LeBlanc as an Executive Director in Americas Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) and Chris Walker as an Associate Director. Based in the firm’s Boston and New York offices, LeBlanc and Walker bring valuable experience in areas such as sustainability reporting and strategy, risk management, assurance, energy, and emissions accounting and management.

LeBlanc was most recently the founder and CEO of LeBlanc & Associates, an accounting and consulting firm specializing in corporate responsibility assurance that provided internal and external auditing services to organizations seeking to improve their credibility, transparency and performance. A certified public accountant and a certified internal auditor by trade, LeBlanc was previously a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and a partner with an internal audit consulting firm.    Walker joins Ernst & Young from the Carbon Trust, LLC, where he served as the Executive Officer, providing support to businesses and the public sector to reduce emissions, save energy, and accelerate cleantech.  Prior to his leadership at the Carbon Trust, Walker was the Executive Director for North America at the Climate Group and at Swiss Re leading their climate change business initiatives. Overall, he brings 15 years of leadership in corporate sustainability strategy and risk management in sustainability, climate and energy to his new role.   “Brendan and Chris bring with them a deep knowledge that will expand our experience and leadership in sustainability services,” noted Steve Starbuck, Americas Leader, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP. “Their collective experiences will strengthen our team’s ability to help our clients respond to new expectations on sustainability reporting and other sustainability-related challenges and opportunities.”   Increasingly, business clients demand guidance in navigating the risks and opportunities created by sustainability-related challenges. They are feeling pressure from relevant stakeholders, including customers, investors and policy makers, among others, to address environmental and social issues that impact their company and its bottom line. Recently Ernst & Young released two reports focusing on increasing pressure from shareholders on these issues, with social and environmental resolutions comprising 40% of all shareholder proposals, and the expanding role of the CFO in corporate sustainability initiatives.   In addition to LeBlanc and Walker, Ernst & Young LLP has added the following additional CCaSS professional staff: Jarret K. Jackson as Senior Manager; Rebecca N. Sternberg as Senior Manager; Mohit Bhargava as Senior; and Nandini Hampole as Senior. Together, they bring decades of experience in environmental economics, sustainability performance management, green marketing strategy, sustainable product design and certification, among other areas, from a range of private and non-profit companies including Accenture, Deloitte, Battelle, and Business for Social Responsibility.     For more information about CCaSS visit www.ey.com/climatechange.     About Ernst & Young Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.   For more information, please visit www.ey.com   Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limed, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Ernst & Young LLP is a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited serving clients in the U.S.   EY19214