KPMG has a new CEO leading its 276,000 staff. Here are the key challenges he faces.
Wingrove has taken charge of KPMG’s global network, which includes more than 276,000 employees. He joined the firm in 2000 and previously led KPMG Australia and served as international chief operating officer.
KPMG’s member firms are legally independent, so the global chair’s job differs from running one corporation. The leader must coordinate across regions, track performance and respond to major crises.
Wingrove said when his appointment was announced in March that he wanted KPMG to be a place where staff could succeed. The network’s scale and structure will make that a substantial leadership task.
Artificial intelligence presents a mixed picture. Businesses may seek KPMG’s advice on adopting AI and retraining employees, creating new consulting work, while automation threatens some traditional assignments and time-based fees.
Consulting industry analyst James Ransome said AI is reducing demand for some junior research and analytical work. He said firms will need to reconsider team design and how they train early-career staff.
KPMG is smaller than its Big Four competitors by headcount and revenue, though its latest annual results indicate slightly faster growth than PwC and EY. Wingrove’s next challenge is balancing that growth with changes AI brings to staffing and pricing.
Key points
- Wingrove leads a network of legally separate firms, not a single corporation.
- AI could generate advisory work while weakening traditional consulting tasks and fee structures.
- KPMG is smaller than rivals but recently posted slightly faster growth than PwC and EY.