EY Sweden Annual and Sustainability report FY25

Foreword from our CEO

It’s time for me to summarize the fiscal year of 2025. This has been my first year as CEO of EY, and I feel incredibly proud as I look back on the year from this new perspective. I’ve been part of EY for many years and have followed our journey from the inside. I’ve seen how we’ve grown, evolved, and embraced new challenges.

What has always made the strongest impression on me is our people. In an industry where knowledge is at the core, it’s clear that our employees and teams are our greatest strength. One of the things I’ve appreciated most during my 17 years at EY is our corporate culture – a culture built on inclusion, knowledge sharing, and a genuine willingness to help one another. By putting our clients’ needs at the center, we blur the boundaries between service lines, geographies, and competencies – together, we are strongest.

Continued Investment in the Hybrid Working Model

We want to be a workplace where both new and existing employees can grow, develop, and thrive. This includes a range of initiatives, such as strengthening our hybrid working model. We believe it’s important to meet in person, but we don’t impose requirements for employees to be in the office for a certain number of days per week. We trust our people and teams to choose the work environment that best supports productivity, well-being, and client needs – whether that’s at the office, at a client site, or from home? Our focus is shifting from where work is done to what needs to be achieved, leveraging the opportunities of digitalization for our organization, employees, and clients.

Recruiting talent with the right skills remains a strategic priority for us. That’s why it’s gratifying that we continue to be recognized as an attractive employer in external surveys. During the 2025 fiscal year, we received a record number of applications and welcomed almost 500 new colleagues. I believe our strong culture, exciting career paths, and investments in skills development – in areas like AI – are key factors in our success as an attractive employer.

Future Growth Requires New Perspectives

The uncertain global environment, marked by geopolitical and economic turbulence, has made many companies cautious about investments and new initiatives. The competition for clients, consumers, and capital is fierce, but every company needs growth to survive in a competitive market. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between opportunities and risks, growth, and profitability.

Despite a tougher business climate, EY grew across all service lines and achieved growth of 9 percent. Thanks to our fantastic people, our broad service offering, and our 43 offices across Sweden, we remain strong in the market. Our industry is in a phase of consolidation; we’ve chosen to keep our entire business under one roof, and we see great strength in our integrated approach. 

When economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions dominate, sustainability efforts risk being sidelined – both politically and in business. We see this reflected in EU discussions about lowering ambitions in CSRD, the taxonomy, and the due diligence directive. Simplifying reporting requirements for companies is welcome, but at EY we are convinced that sustainability and business development must go hand in hand. To create competitiveness for the future, we need not less but more change in the actions and choices we make every day. This principle guides our internal sustainability work. We strive to think differently, act more responsibly, and identify areas for improvement – from major strategic decisions to everyday choices about how we travel, use our offices, and work with suppliers. We must practice what we preach to maintain credibility and remain a relevant partner for our clients on their sustainability journeys.

Inclusion Is the Key to Innovation

Over the past year, we have seen a downshift in focus on matters related to inclusion and social responsibility. For me and EY, it’s clear that the best ideas emerge when people with different experiences, skills, and backgrounds meet and collaborate. We stand firm in our core values. An important step toward a more inclusive labor market is also increasing awareness of neurodiversity. In 2024, we took our first step towards establishing a Neurodiversity Centre of Excellence. We have expanded our client offerings with services that promote the inclusion of neurodivergent individuals in working life. Additionally, the centre strengthens our internal efforts around innovation and inclusion, including the recruitment of neurodivergent employees.

This year, we also continued investing in our EY Ripples program, which enables employees to contribute time and expertise to projects that strengthen society. We initiated a new partnership with Doctors Without Borders and participated in Järvaveckan 2025. If Järvaveckan is the meeting place for those who believe in the power of diversity, then Almedalen is the arena for conversations about societal development. This year, EY was represented with seminars and our immersive experience Four Futures. Using AI and scientific systems analysis, the installation presents four alternative future scenarios based on the choices we make today. These scenarios leave a strong impression on those who experience them and spark important discussions about how we can accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. 

The Road Ahead

The past year has been eventful in many ways. Technological development is moving faster than ever, the geopolitical situation remains uncertain, and climate and societal challenges are becoming increasingly urgent. In such times, we need companies that dare to think long-term, take responsibility, and contribute to solutions. That’s exactly what we at EY strive for every day, supported by our global strategy All in. We want to continue growing – but growth must be sustainable and value-driven, focusing on areas such as transformation, sustainability, audit, managed services, and AI and technology.

Most would agree that AI and new technologies are reshaping markets, business models, and ways of working. This development is changing client needs – but the need for our services is not diminishing. Human competence and experience are more important than ever to interpret and put information into the right context. Technology plays its part, but it’s people and human interaction that make a real difference.

Finally, I want to thank all our employees who contribute every day to driving our business forward and serving our clients. A warm thank you also to our clients for your trust during the past year. Together, we are not only creating new value for the future – we are shaping it. 

Linda Sallander

CEO, EY Sweden