Elena Richards
Chief Culture and Inclusion Officer
Elena Richards is a Principal and Chief Culture and Inclusion Officer at 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 LLP. She is an accomplished HR and talent management professional with deep knowledge of the professional services industry
Elena leads the firm鈥檚 national Culture and Inclusion team and works closely with the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 U.S. Management Committee and Board of Directors to advance the firm鈥檚 strategy to attract and retain high-performing talent and foster an inclusive work environment.听Elena further collaborates with the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 functional leaders on the business integration of the firm鈥檚 strategic talent priorities.
Elena leads firmwide initiatives that drive culture and inclusion across the firm,聽as well as its the Business Resource Group (BRG) Leadership Council which oversees 200+ national and local BRG chapters and inclusion councils. She serves on the Talent and Culture Leadership Team, driving the collaboration with people-centric processes to further embed inclusion practices in workforce shaping, workforce enablement, workforce innovation, organizational engagement and culture. She has hosted a series of peer exchanges, bringing together people leaders across various organizations to discuss talent strategies impacting businesses across all industries.
With over 20 years of experience, Elena鈥檚 north star is to create psychologically safe workplaces and consistent experiences for everyone at 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网. She has championed 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 being a signatory on pledges with organizations that support an inclusive workforce. In 2021, she was the recipient of the NJCPA Ovation award, recognized for her passion and contributions towards promoting inclusion across the finance and accounting profession.
Elena earned her BA in criminal justice at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and is a certified executive coach.
She currently serves as a board member for the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 U.S. Foundation, Inc. and the Community Foundation of New Jersey. She is on the board of advisors for Catalyst, a member of the Boston College Center for Work & Family advisory board and a member of Seramount鈥檚 Diversity Best Practices collective. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants鈥� National Diversity & Inclusion Commission and was previously an advisory board member for Howard University鈥檚 Center for Accounting Education.