KPMG faces leadership and workforce shake-up

KPMG’s global general counsel has retired as the firm navigates leadership changes, job cuts, and ongoing trust concerns.

Sydney-based lawyer Anne Collins has departed her role as global general counsel at KPMG following scrutiny over her handling of the infamous whistleblower allegations that have engulfed the professional services firm over the past year.

The move comes as Gary Wingrove took on the role of global chairman and chief executive, following four years as global chief operating officer.

Collins was global general counsel at KPMG International for 10 years, following five years as general counsel at KPMG Australia and 23 years at Ashurst, where she became a partner.

Both Wingrove and Collins were called to appear before an Australian parliamentary committee that was examining how KPMG partners used confidential client data to secure audit contracts within the nation.

KPMG ousted senior leadership figures of its Australian business when the whistleblower allegations initially came to the surface.

The firm acknowledged that Australian leadership failed to take a whistleblower who raised the concerns in 2024 with adequate seriousness.

Ashurst was also involved in a capacity, defending its work conducted in the investigation, as regulators continue probing the whistleblower scandal.

Meanwhile, ASIC said KPMG is still claiming legal professional privilege over 74 documents. However, the firm has agreed to provide some withheld material to the regulator under confidential disclosure arrangements as investigations continue.

In what has been a challenging year for KPMG Australia for a variety of reasons, according to recent reports from Accountants Daily, the firm is cutting about 400 roles, mostly in consulting, as weaker demand, decreased government work, and challenging market conditions drive a broader restructuring and “rebuild”.

KPMG Australia CEO John Sams commented on the firm’s strategy and workforce adjustments, acknowledging the difficulties faced during this period of transformation.

“We also recognise the challenges created by our own failings, and the work we must continue to do to rebuild trust,” Sams said.

“Our immediate focus is on treating everyone impacted with care, dignity, and respect.

“We are providing practical support and making wellbeing support central to the process.

“We also recognise how unsettling this will be for colleagues across the firm, and we will continue to communicate openly and support them through this period of change.”

The exit of Collins follows a series of moves in the firm, with KPMG’s Australian CEO, Andrew Yates, stepping down and ultimately taking the blame for the firm’s mistreatment of the whistleblower, with Sams since taking over.

Collins has been replaced by Susan Walsh, who has been deputy general counsel at KPMG for over 19 years.

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