KPMG has confirmed that Tim Howarth, partner and UK Head of Financial Services Consulting and Risk Consulting within the firm’s consulting division has left. KPMG said: “We hold all of our people to a very high standard and take swift and appropriate action against any individual whose behaviour contravenes the firm’s values. As part of this commitment, we can confirm conduct issues have been raised related to a partner and, following an internal investigation and disciplinary panel, that partner has left the firm. Under our process the partner has appealed.”
The Financial Times quotes Howarth himself as saying: “I am surprised by the KPMG announcement of the outcome of a disciplinary panel, which is bizarre as the decision is under appeal. I have not been given the reason for that decision. I had already resigned from the KPMG partnership. I did not believe that the process was fair or would lead to a just outcome. There is no complainant and there were no formal allegations pursued by anyone.” The FT says the panel hearing took place on Friday, 9 August 2019, and centred on messages sent on WhatsApp.
Howarth was also lead partner at KPMG for Lloyds Banking Group. His profile has been removed from the KPMG website. He had been with the firm since July 2005. Prior to that Howarth spent eight years with the Financial Services Authority, predecessor to the Financial Conduct Authority.
