Ernst and Young unit to increase PHL headcount to 7,500

ERNST and Young unit EY Global Delivery Services (EY GDS) said it is planning to increase staffing to 7,500 in the next few years.

“We have a two- to three-year target of getting to 7,500 here in the Philippines. That would be across all of the service lines here,” EY GDS Philippines Tax Co-Leader EY Asia-Pacific and EY Global Compliance and Reporting (GCR) Lead Andrea Catte told reporters on Tuesday.

EY GDS is a knowledge process outsourcing firm delivering tax, assurance, strategy, and consulting services to EY member firms.

The firm currently employs 5,000, mainly located in Metro Manila.

Ms. Catte added that the firm will also focus on upskilling and reskilling its workforce during the next few years.

“But the key focus for 2024 is adaptability and growing the skill sets and services that we are offering,” she said. In October, the firm opened a Cebu office to increase its capacity to deliver more services to member firms.

“More and more opportunities are being directed to us here… definitely the growth will happen. But it is not only the growth in terms of numbers but what we can (provide),” Raymond Go, EY GDS Philippines consulting leader, said.

“The company also plans to leverage emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, automation, data analytics) for better service delivery, strengthen industry partnerships, and cultivate a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and adaptability,” it said.

Mr. Go said that close to 50% of its business is mainly business assurance, while 20–25% is consulting services, with its tax practice accounting for the remainder is for its taxation services.

He described consulting as one of its “fastest-growing” segments by headcount.