Both Tim Ryan and Mark Weinberger both made statements over the past week regarding Donald Trump’s travel ban. Donald Trump signed an executive order last week limiting travel for seven countries that are deemed as risks for terrorism.

The CEO’s likely felt pressure to come out and make statements about the White House immigration ban because other CEO’s have already come out and made statements.

Tim Ryan made his statement via PwC’s Facebook page – @PwC Inside. His statement is included below.

Team,

As you have heard, President Trump signed an executive order barring immigrants for 90 days from seven countries.

We’re in the process of evaluating how the executive order impacts our people, and our Global Mobility team is contacting anyone we think may be affected. In addition, we recognize there may be some individuals covered by the executive order that our team cannot identify. If you have personal questions or concerns, please watch for an update later today from Mike Fenlon, our Chief People Officer, on the PwC Inside internal homepage. This update will provide more specific guidance on how to get help with your questions. This situation is very fluid and will likely continue to evolve.

I want to thank all those who have reached out to me in the last 48 hours or so sharing your views. I have heard heartbreaking stories of people who had to cancel plans to visit loved ones or have friends who were outside the country when the order was issued and are not able to re-enter. Some have also written simply to share their fear, concern and desire to help those who need help.

I want to reinforce that PwC stands for inclusion, understanding, acceptance and equal opportunity for all…full stop.

We know that talent has no borders and that our firm, our clients, and our country all benefit when people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I’m asking all of us to be guided by our values, to support each other and to listen and support those who need it. An act of compassion can go a long way. While none of us have all the answers, simply listening and letting someone know you care provides more support than we might understand. One lesson I’ve learned over the past few months is that when there are difficult issues affecting our people, silence isn’t an option.

Team, this is a fast-moving situation. Watch PwC Inside for updates, including one later today.

In the meantime, I ask you to treat each other with care. We are a team that is made stronger by people of different backgrounds, beliefs, cultures and the many other dimensions of diversity. Let’s stand together and keep our focus on the important work that we do and the clients who are depending on us.

 

 

Mark Weinberger chose to make his statement via an email. His statement is included below.

 

The Executive Order issued by President Trump last week to re-evaluate the US visa issuance process and US Refugee Admission Program will have an impact on our ability to work as a globally connected organization. We communicated yesterday to all of EY’s quarter of a million people around the world that we are working through the implications of this order and stand ready to assist any impacted employees.

We also restated our commitment to being globally connected and to supporting our EY people around the world. The strength of EY lies in our people, values and culture, all of which are built on a foundation of respect for all individuals. We have worked hard as an organization to build a culture that values differences across all backgrounds, geographies and faiths. This commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture remains steadfast. It gives confidence to all our people that they belong as part of our EY family.

Efforts to strengthen national security, which underlie the Executive Order, are important and must be balanced with the commitment to being an open and free country that recognizes, and cherishes, the value of all people, including immigrants. That is the only certain way to achieve sustainable economic and physical security. We need to work together to achieve this balance and have a productive dialogue, informed by what we are hearing around the world. We commit to engage fully in this dialogue.

 

 

The big 4 have to speak out on this topic because many other CEOs are speaking out. The CEO of Nike and Starbucks have all made statements, so it makes sense that the heads of the Big 4 Accounting Firms are all coming out and making statements. They can’t be silent while everyone else is speaking about this topic in society. This is especially important for the big 4 because they have so many employees around the world. Check out our Big 4 Rankings page to see details about the number of employees they have around the world.