J. Michael Cook
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Deloitte & Touche LLP
In 1992, Deloitte & Touche Chairman and CEO J. Michael Cook formed and chaired
a task force on the retention and advancement of women at the firm. Based on the recommendations of the task force, the Initiative for the Retention and Advancement
of Women (Women's Initiative) was launched in April 1993. To guide the firm on its Women's Initiative, Cook enlisted former U.S. Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin to chair
a council of outside advisors, and Ellen Gabriel, a partner in the firm's Boston office,
was named National Director for the Retention and Advancement of Women.
Cook led the effort to establish objectives for the Women's Initiative, and his ongoing involvement has been a major motivating force. Cook also spearheaded the development
and launch of programs to enhance working relationships between men and women, and participated in the first gender dynamics workshop. To date, the Women's Initiative is credited with reducing turnover and enhancing career opportunities for women at the firm through a wide range of mentoring, networking, and career-planning programs in addition
to work/life balance programs such as child and elder care support and referral assistance.
Cook's commitment to the advancement of high talent women in business and to
Deloitte & Touche's Women's Initiative has resulted in several accolades, including being named by Working Mother magazine as the 1997 Family Champion of the Year, receiving
the Townsend Award. In 1998, Deloitte & Touche also ranked #14 on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" and was placed on Working Mother's list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" for the fourth year in a row.
Cook leads two very important civic organizations. He is the chairman of the board
of Catalyst, the nation's leading organization for the advancement of women in business.
He also serves as chairman of the board of governors of United Way of America, the nation's leader in health and human services and community building.
Among leadership roles in his profession, Cook served as chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in its centennial year and chaired the
1992 World Congress of Accountants. He is the past chairman and president of the
board of trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation and is currently a member
of the Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Committee.
Cook is an author and spokesman on professional issues and led the profession's efforts
for securities law reform, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1995.
Cook is a member of the executive committee of the Securities Regulation Institute,
the Conference Board, and the U.S. Council for International Business. He is also an international councillor of the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
