Collaboration at the heart of business transformation

In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, collaboration is a strategic imperative. As organisations grapple with rapid technological change and shifting market demands, the ability to connect people, ideas, and solutions across traditional boundaries is becoming a defining factor of success. Few companies understand this better than Ernst & Young (EY), a global leader whose multidisciplinary approach positions them at the forefront of innovation and value creation.

EY: from roots in auditing to an innovation powerhouse
EY’s journey spans more than a century. Originally established as an auditing firm, EY has transformed into a 400,000-strong organisation operating in over 150 countries. Their purpose – “building a better working world” – guides a fundamental shift from “selling hours to selling outcomes.” Emil Hovgaard, Nordic Chief Technology Officer at EY, explains how this ethos is embodied: “this is especially embodied by our digital product organisation that is working towards a future where tax and legal know-how becomes a part of software applications enabling clients to file returns, claim R&D incentives, or manage cross-border mobility at the click of a button.”

Key differentiators: scale, expertise, and innovation
Part of what sets EY apart is the depth and breadth of its technical resources. “Few realise EY employs more software engineers and product designers than many Silicon Valley unicorns. We operate one of the world’s largest private clouds and even run our own large-language-model stack. Drawing on our legacy, our deep expertise in the industry, this combination of scale and a forward-thinking approach to technology allows EY to deliver solutions that hit home and drive real value.”

Their partnership as Strategic Tech Partners 2025 with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK exemplifies this strategy. “Sweden builds world-class tech while the UK offers one of the world’s deepest capital markets, and the SCC UK sits right at that crossroad.” Emil continues, “Partnering with the Chamber lets EY do what we do best – connect founders, corporates, and investors, inject rigour on tax and governance, and provide global reach when Swedish ideas need to scale or British firms seek a Nordic test-bed. Just as important, the partnership gives us a seat at the table to shape the tech conversation we’re passionate about and stay closely connected to the industry’s pulse.”

Practical outcomes: driving efficiency and impact
EY’s commitment to innovate with purpose and for outcomes is illustrated by EY Nordic’s digital product group – a team of specialists who work side-by-side with clients. “Through our digital product group – a 40+ strong team of engineers, designers, and senior tax-law specialists – we embed directly with client teams to transform manual workflows into ‘zero-touch’ digital applications,” says Emil. “By simplifying and automating core processes, we compress close cycles from weeks to hours and unlock significant working capital. Clients gain immediate efficiency and margin improvements – and leave with an AI-ready data foundation that enables greater transparency, sustainability, and future resilience.”

Thought leadership in AI
EY has been quick to embrace the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and have invested US$1.4 billion in their own AI platform. Emil points out, “We see AI not as hype but as the engine of a genuine, exponential shift.” He identifies two standout trends: agentic AI – autonomous software “colleagues” already live in finance and tax, and industrial AI that enables high-precision manufacturing reshoring. These advancements are not just theoretical; they are already shrinking cycle times and boosting regional competitiveness. 

Building tomorrow’s leaders through diversity and learning
Transformation, according to EY, is as much about people as it is about technology. “Talent, teaming, culture, and leadership is core to valuable transformation and getting it right is not a ‘did that, done’, situation. It evolves. We like to think that we are leading by example. In our digital product team of 40+ people we have representation from 19 different nationalities and with a distinctive and diverse set of skills. We prioritise new learning and sharing our expertise with each other to level up our game, collectively.”

Lessons for organisational leadership and broader change
EY’s story offers a powerful lesson for leaders everywhere: true transformation thrives at the intersection of collaboration, innovation, and purpose. By connecting diverse teams, embracing new technologies, and committing to organisations can achieve lasting impact. As Emil puts it, “EY’s role is simple – be the connective tissue that helps great ideas cross borders faster, with the right structure, incentives, and governance from day one.” 

The future belongs to those who can harness these lessons – not just to adapt, but to lead.