Originally published on LinkedIn by Paul Knopp, Chair and CEO at KPMG U.S. KPMG is No. 12 on the 2020 Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.
KPMG’s Legacy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are foundational to KPMG’s purpose, values, and strategy. I have witnessed incredible change and significant progress throughout my 37-year career, but it has not been nearly enough — as a society, as a profession, and as a firm.
The events of the past year taught us that we must think bigger and be bolder in our ambition and our action. At KPMG we will take action to fight racism, intolerance, and inequity in our society, and drive sustainable change in our firm and in the communities where we live and work.
One of my first acts as KPMG Chair and CEO was to launch Accelerate 2025 — our collective commitment to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through bold leadership, values-driven actions, and strong accountability.
Accelerate 2025 is a firmwide commitment to understand the lived and shared experiences that our Black talent and all underrepresented groups have in navigating the workplace, and to identify real or perceived barriers, pain points, and biases that may influence and impact moments that matter for our people.
We are focused on our commitment to attract, retain and advance underrepresented talent — at KPMG and in the profession more broadly — through continuous learning, courageous conversations, and inclusive leadership.
These are my aspirations for the U.S. firm for the end of the fiscal year 2025:
- 50% partner and managing director representation from underrepresented groups, including doubling our Black representation;
- 50% increase in our Black and Hispanic / Latinx workforce;
- Significant increase in representation from underrepresented groups in client and firmwide leadership roles.
Our Board of Directors will hold our Vice Chairs and me accountable for delivering on our Accelerate 2025 priorities. We will accomplish this by more frequent updates and greater levels of transparency around our actions. This Transparency Report is a big step in holding us accountable and measuring our progress.
