EMANUEL CABRERA

Assurance Manager, Ernst & Young

Heritage: Dominican

Age: 28

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Notable accomplishments:

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●   Highest ranking Latino in Ernst & Young’s audit practice in Boston

●   Elected twice to serve as Chair of the Latino Professional Network at EY

 

 By: Alejandro Ramirez

 

Emanuel Cabrera always had a gift for numbers. Born to Dominican immigrants, Cabrera spoke Spanish until the age of 6. His parents didn’t speak English and weren’t always able to help him with his homework.

 

Regardless, he was always good at one subject: math; he credits his mom for her help.

 

“My mom was good at math,” said Cabrera, age 28, describing how it was a subject she could always help him with. “She always ingrained it in my head.”

 

He’s now a manager in the audit practice at Ernst & Young, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.

 

Born and raised in Lawrence, MA, he studied at Boston College, earning a BS in accounting in 2011.

 

As part of a diversity program, he interned with Ernst & Young during his sophomore year and got a return offer from the company his senior year.  In the five years since, he’s climbed the ranks of the assurance department.

 

Cabrera notes that he found work opportunities through diversity programs; he now leads the company’s Latino Professional Network to help forge new connections for young professionals of color.

 

Cabrera admitted that he didn’t seek out the role; in 2015, a senior manager nominated him to lead the group, which had been dwindling before Cabrera took over.

 

Now, he said, “It’s been growing. We do 6 to 8 events a year and collaborate with other affinity groups.”

           

Cabrera notes that diversity programs played a big role in his education, both inside and outside the workplace. They helped him meet and hear from corporate leaders and CEOs, who stressed the importance of making plans and setting goals.

 

He hasn’t ruled out becoming the CFO of a Fortune 500 company or finding his own venture, but, currently, he has his goals set on becoming a partner at Ernst & Young.

 

“I love my job and I like where I’m at,” he said.