Kate Barton has more than 34 years of experience serving some of EY’s largest clients. She joined EY in 1985 as an intern and became a partner in 1996. In 2009, Kate was appointed EY Americas Vice Chair – Tax. She assumed the role of Global Vice Chair – Tax on July 1, 2018 and leads our tax professionals worldwide. Kate is involved in all aspects of the Tax practice, including strategy and operations, people development, client relations, quality control, risk management, thought leadership, knowledge, and learning and innovation efforts to bring new services to market.
Kate recently served as a member of the Americas Operating Executive and executive sponsor for EY’s Black Professional Network, and is a current member of the Executive Board, the Global Practice Group, the Global Tax Executive Committee, and the EY Global Diversity & Inclusiveness Committee. Previous leadership roles include serving as the Northeast Region Tax Managing Partner (TMP) from 2005-2009 and as the New York Office Managing Partner from 2008-2009. She had been a TMP since 2002, first in New England, then in Metro New York, prior to the regions combining to become the Northeast. Kate serves as a Senior Advisory Partner on several of the US Tax practice’s largest accounts, including The Kraft Group, Tishman Speyer and Polo Ralph Lauren.
She is actively involved in Women Fast Forward, EY’s initiative focused on gender parity in the workplace, and recently joined EY’s Global Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. She also champions developing opportunities for young STEM specialists at EY and in the tax profession, integrating their knowledge to create an inclusive and broadminded future workforce.
Her community and philanthropic interests are focused on expanding opportunities for students and young professionals. She serves as a board member of the All Stars Project, a national nonprofit organization that provides after-school development programs to more than 10,000 students, transforming the lives of inner-city youth using the power of performance.
Kate is a recognized leader in the tax field, named in December 2014 by the New York Business Journal as one their Women of Influence and, as one of the few women in senior client service leadership positions in the Big Four, is dedicated to diversity. She is a recipient of City & State’s Corporate Socially Responsibility for Law, Consulting & Business Services Award. Kate was named 2015 Woman of the Year – Business Services in the 12th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business and was also named 2016 Female Executive of the Year by the Women World Awards®. In 2017, Kate was an honoree at the Irish America Business 100 gala and the 20th Anniversary Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project gala.
Kate is regularly quoted in the media on business and tax matters, and she has also made frequent appearances on broadcast outlets.
Kate received a B.S. from Boston University, a J.D. from Boston College Law School, Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Bar Association and the Massachusetts and New York Bar Associations.