A RESHUFFLE of some of KPMG’s most senior posts has seen new counsels appointed to work alongside chairman and senior partner Simon Collins.
Joe Gallacher and Melanie Richards have been appointed vice-chairs on KPMG’s UK board, and will support Collins with the firm’s governance.
Dr Ashley Steel, vice-chair and global head of transport, will retire in the summer. Dr Steel has been one of the firm’s most recognisable faces, having stood up for diversity in the City and having sat on KPMG’s board for several years. She has previously been named as one of the UK’s most influential gay people. “I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Dr Ashley Steel for her huge contribution to KPMG and the business world more broadly,” said Collins.
Richards currently sits on the KPMG board as a non-executive director, a role she has held since 2012. She took part in the Accountancy Age Debate on female board quotas last year. Gallacher currently serves on KPMG’s UK board as head of sectors, but this role will be taken by new appointee Richard Gostling, who joins from Goldman Sachs.
As head of sectors, Gostling will serve on KPMG’s executive management team.
“The appointment of Joe Gallagher and Melanie Richards as vice-chairs is…an important step forward as we seek to evolve our leadership model, ensuring we are the most relevant to our clients and striving for the highest standards of governance and responsibility,” said Collins.
“Melanie and Joe will represent the firm at the highest level with clients and other key stakeholders.
“Richard completed his accountancy training at KPMG back in 1992 and has since been a trusted adviser to many UK businesses; we are delighted to welcome him back.”