Our heritage

A legacy of connection, collaboration and innovation

Our story begins with our purpose: making an impact that matters. Something that our founder, William Welch Deloitte, understood well. In 1845, he had a vision to build something that would last—to bring change to the accounting industry and beyond.

Understanding the power of connection, collaboration and innovation, he established Deloitte as a small accountancy firm. And because of his legacy, Deloitte has grown to a thriving global organisation of more than 415,000 people who are dedicated to changing the world.

These founding beliefs have driven our growth for more than 175 years and keep us firmly focused on the future. They are the bedrock of today's Deloitte and our goal of solving the world's greatest challenges—in business and society.

Deloitte’s more than 175-year history of serving our people, clients and communities is the foundation of who we are. As we build upon our past to shape our future, we remain grounded in the values and purpose that have guided us from the very beginning.

Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte Global CEO

Learn how we live our Shared Values and help our clients, communities and people thrive during times of adversity.

Our heritage in stories