Photographic portrait of Steve Varley
The future of sustainability is value-led: improving energy efficiency, rethinking supply chains and transforming business models to drive superior resilience, innovation and financial performance.

Steve Varley

EY Global Vice Chair - Sustainability

Passionate about sustainability, diversity and entrepreneurship. Husband and father of two. Triathlete.

Steve is the EY Global Vice Chair for Sustainability, leading EY’s climate change and sustainability agenda globally in a role that is the first among the Big Four. His primary focus is helping leading companies and governments around the world to create value from sustainability, and accelerate their transition to a lower-carbon future. He also leads EY’s overall environmental sustainability strategy across the US$45b professional services organization which employs over 350,000 people. Steve is leading the organization’s efforts toward net zero and has overseen its ongoing achievement of carbon negative since 2021.

Steve was previously EY UK&I Regional Managing Partner and Chair of EY UK, leading the US$3.5b business and its 17,000 employees. During his nine-year tenure he drove an inclusive and green growth, doubling its revenues from £1.3b in FY11 to £2.6, in FY20. During this time, 8,000 jobs were created in the UK, more than half of which were outside of London. He originally joined EY in 2005 and has nearly 30 years of client and consulting business experience in various sectors including pharmaceuticals, oil & gas and public services.  

Steve was a member of the Business Advisory Group to both Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May and was also the UK Government’s Business Ambassador for the professional services industry during this time. He was part of the business delegation on the Prime Minister’s Trade Missions, including visits to Russia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil and China.

How Steve is building a better working world

Steve is founding co-chair of the S30, a group of 30 Chief Sustainability Officers from some of the world’s leading businesses, launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative, a leading global sustainability program which has been championed by His Majesty King Charles III.

Steve is also a founding member of the Social Business Trust, a member of the International Chamber of Commerce governing body, on the Chairman’s Advisory Group for the British Museum and a member of the Productivity Leadership Group. Having earned a BEng at Loughborough University, he is now on its board.

Contact Steve