Ernst & Young has moved its Woodland Hills office to Westlake Village, committing to a five-year lease of 7,500 square feet at the Westgate Park Place office park. The firm’s partners believe the location will help E & Y; take advantage of increasing demand for the company’s professional services among the biotechnology, real estate, and tech sectors in northern Los Angeles County, and Ventura County. The new office employs 65 people. “We’re excited to become part of the Westlake business community,” said Peter Griffith, Vice Chair and Area Managing Partner for the Pacific Southwest area. “The feedback and support we’ve received from the community have been extremely positive.” For those who thought the Conejo Valley already had an Ernst & Young office, they would have been correct , nearly ten years ago. The firm had a small presence in the Thousand Oaks area for a brief period in the 1990s. “It was really done for employees as much as clients,” said an employee at the new the office who wished to remain unnamed. “A lot of the partners live out here, so it’s more convenient for them too.” A spokesperson for the company said employee needs are always a top consideration when the firm considers where to locate, adding that some employees now report having a six-minute commute as compared to a 30- to 45-minute drive when the office was still in Woodland Hills. — Thom Senzee
