Where were you 20 years ago? Many of our alumni were not with the firm then, but if you were, you were probably acclimating yourself to the notion of a new firm — Ernst & Young — born of the joining of Arthur Young and Ernst & Whinney on 1 October 1989. Remember how it just sounded different: Ernst & Young?

That historic merger has made all the difference. In this issue we commemorate its 20th anniversary. Through interviews with four of our firm’s former chairs and CEOs, you will get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of some of the innovative thinking, challenges and triumphs that took two great but distinctly different organizations and fused them into the global success story that is Ernst & Young. You will also get an update on what these extraordinary alumni are doing today and how their vision, passion and commitment to excellence continue to live on.

In recognition of the underlying spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that helped drive the merger, in this issue we profile a number of your colleagues who, through their innovative drive and entrepreneurialspirit, are making a difference at major companies such as Google, Clorox and NASCAR. In a recent Ernst & Young report, Entrepreneurship and innovation: the keys to global economic recovery, we asserted that the need to innovate and be entrepreneurial has never been more urgent. It is exciting and encouraging to see our alumni helping to lead the process we believe necessary to driveeconomic recovery and growth.

As we considered which alumni to highlight in this issue, it became clear that some of our most outstanding innovators and entrepreneurs are no longer with us. Therefore, starting with this issue, we will include posthumous “Legacy of leadership” profiles of alumni whose achievements live on and continue to make a difference. Our profile of the late Trammell Crow (1914-2009) underscores the amazing and lasting impact Ernst & Young alumni make on the profession, their industries and their communities.

Finally, we thank all of you who provided feedback on our inaugural issue. Overall, you told us you really liked the magazine, but wanted more updates on what your fellow alumni are doing now and more photos. We listened, made some adjustments and hope you will like this issue even better.