KPMG Australia has set out a series of leadership changes and governance reforms following integrity concerns at the company.
The accounting practice said audit partners Paul Rogers and Eileen Hoggett will leave the partnership as part of the changes.
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KPMG also plans to redesign its governance structure by appointing its first independent chair.
It will also introduce external members to the Australian board, aiming for a more even split between KPMG partners and independent representatives.
The company noted that the board’s responsibilities and scope will be reassessed and updated. The plan involves adding independent board members to a new set of sub-committees, which will oversee key areas such as audit quality, ethics, whistleblower processes and wider public interest issues.
KPMG National chairman Martin Sheppard has endorsed the move to appoint an independent chair and has confirmed he will depart the company in the near term.
He will remain for a brief transition period to manage the handover and will also step down from his regional board positions.
KPMG Australia added that the search for a new CEO is “progressing”.
The company will also bring in an external organisation to conduct an immediate “lessons-learned” review of the whistleblower case.
These measures form part of what KPMG Australia has described as its Action Plan.
KPMG Australia interim CEO Stan Stavros said: “The decisions announced today are necessary and immediate. We did not meet the standards expected of us, and we recognise the impact this has had on the whistleblower, our people, our clients and the community.
“We are acting where it matters: changing leadership, strengthening independent governance, commissioning external reviews, improving whistleblower oversight, tightening controls and reinforcing accountability across the firm.
“Trust will only be rebuilt through sustained action and demonstrable change. We are determined to confront what went wrong, act transparently and ensure these failings are not repeated.”
KPMG Australia recently admitted that staff misused confidential Optus information by sharing it with an internal team bidding for Telstra’s audit.
