For this month’s CSR profile, we caught up with Luke Ounsworth, part of the Corporate Citizenship team at Accenture. Luke spoke to us about his passion for his work, why CSR is integral to everyday life at Accenture, and the inspiring impact their programmes have had.

Can you tell us a bit about your career and current role?
I joined Accenture’s Corporate Citizenship team in November 2018, but I actually joined the firm as an Analyst in February 2016. Prior to joining Accenture, I spent several years working in various roles across the Third Sector – first with Oxfam and then with ReachOut, an educational charity based in East London. My current role is incredibly varied, but I focus day-to-day on the management of our portfolio of community partners as well as our volunteering and eco-engagement programmes. Accenture has a very broad Corporate Citizenship agenda, supporting a diverse range of demographics. It’s this diversity which I find so rewarding as I get the opportunity to work with teams and organisations supporting people from all walks of life on a daily basis.

Why is CSR important to Accenture?
At Accenture, Corporate Citizenship has always been fundamental to who we are. We believe businesses have the opportunity and a responsibility to be a force for good in the world. At Accenture, we apply the passion and expertise of our people, our deep knowledge of technology and its impact, and our strategic partnerships to create innovations that help address urgent social issues. As the pace of disruption accelerates, we’re redefining what Corporate Citizenship means at Accenture, sharpening our focus on how we innovate with our clients and partners, how we operate as a business and how we contribute to our communities and society. As such, Corporate Citizenship sits at the very heart of our business model, ensuring that everything we do delivers long-lasting value to our clients, our communities and our people.

Which topics, themes or initiatives are Accenture currently focused on?
Nearly a decade ago, we launched our Skills to Succeed initiative to address the global need to close skills gaps and prepare individuals to get a job or build a business. This set a meaningful precedent for our company and for our people—a commitment to applying the best of Accenture in a concentrated, strategic way to address complex social issues. Through Skills to Succeed, we have opened doors to employment and economic opportunity. Together with our strategic partners, we have equipped 3m people with the skills to get a job or build a business. Our goal is to reach a further 5m people by the end of 2025 by focussing our support on demographics as diverse as the Next Generation (young people aged 17 and under) through to NEETs (young people aged 18-30) and New Skillers (mid-career workers aged 25 and over) .

What is the best part of your job?
It might sound cliché, but the very best part of my job is the people with whom I get to work. As a member of the Corporate Citizenship team, I’m fortunate enough that I get to work with brilliant folk across the private, public and charity sectors on a daily basis – one moment, I could be talking to a highly experienced teacher and the next I could be in a meeting with a developer who’s designed an awesome Tech for Good solution which Accenture are helping to scale. On top of this, I also get to interact with Accenture employees and hear about their charitable and volunteering activities – I’m constantly impressed by their desire to have an impact above and beyond their day jobs, whether that’s through giving their time, money or expertise. I honestly think that I have one of the best jobs in the firm.