Minorities are underrepresented in the financial services industry. A study by Howard University showed that only 1 percent of public accounting partners are African American and only 3 percent of Chief Financial Officers of Fortune 500 companies are minorities. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports on efforts here in Phoenix to improve those numbers.
 
AL MACIAS: Most people don’t grow up with hopes of being an accountant. Sports stars, actors, scientists often top the dream job list. Ken Bouyer says if you want to go where the money is, be an accountant. He is with Ernst & Young, an international financial services company.
 
KEN BOUYER: There’s not a transaction that happen around this world without an accountant or someone in the professional services actively involved.
 
MACIAS: According to a 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics about 6 percent of accountants and auditors were Latino, and 8.5 percent were African American. Bouyer is in Phoenix recruiting at the National Association of Black Accountants conference in Phoenix this week. He says the industry needs to improve its recruiting efforts.
 
BOUYER:  We’ve got to diversify our profession, our firms, we need that diversity of thought and perspective. So if you are ready, willing and able, you’ll have an opportunity.
 
MACIAS: Bouyer says his company is hiring 10,000 people this year and the industry as a whole is looking for qualified talent. He says many major corporations are at the NABA conference recruiting.