Campus

Diversity statement

Diversity and inclusion are priorities for KPMG LLP, and they are woven into everything we do — from recruiting and professional development; the way we serve our clients; our commitment to youth, education, and workforce readiness; and everything in between.

My own commitment to diversity has its roots in my personal and professional experiences, so it's easy for me to be passionate about ensuring that KPMG remains an organization that values the contributions of all our people, and creates opportunities for them succeed.

This passion is shared by KPMG's people at all levels of the firm, from our partners to the members of the Diversity Advisory Board, Women's Advisory Board, and our six employee-driven national diversity networks, which engage more than 40 percent of our people.

It takes more than passion and the absolute belief that diversity is 'the right thing to do,' though, if we are to continue to achieve our objectives. That's why, like anything we try to accomplish as a firm, diversity is a business imperative for KPMG, one that's aligned with and supports our strategic priorities. We believe our intellectual capital must be as diverse as the clients we serve and the communities we work in; and that our ability to leverage the diverse experiences, talents, ideas, and perspectives of all our people is absolutely linked to our commercial success.

Accordingly, we work hard every day to advance our diversity strategy, and ensure that we continue to foster an inclusive work environment. Through programs like Future Diversity Leaders, which helps us identify and mentor high-potential college freshman and sophomores; the Key Accounts Rotation program, which targets our ethnically diverse associates and is intended to ensure that these young professionals, early in their career, receive the client exposure and broad range of experience they need to succeed; our Managing Career Life Choices program, which helps our senior associate women keep their careers on track; and others, we've leveraged diversity to support our employees, increase their engagement, and help them build the careers to which they aspire.

And we're proud of the progress we've made to date: We're tied for the highest percentage of female partners among the Big Four, according to the Public Accounting Report's annual survey of accounting firms, and we've been recognized with the Catalyst Award, a prestigious honor given to a select few organizations each year in recognition of exceptional programs that support and advance our people, especially women. We're consistently ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity and Working Mother's Best Companies for Multicultural Women. As important, though, is the fact that our employee surveys tell us that the majority of our people consider KPMG a great place to work and build a career, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.

While these achievements are certainly notable, we recognize that we must always challenge ourselves to be bolder, to look beyond today's success and take our vision — and our accomplishments — to the next level. We must stay focused on our primary goal — to attract, retain, mentor, and develop high-performers from all backgrounds. We must remember that diversity enhances our organization and communicates who we are to the marketplace; and that our success as a firm hinges on our ability to fill and sustain a diverse pipeline, and create opportunities for our people. And we must always look for ways to enhance our diversity initiatives, which are so critical to the development of our people.

I believe everyone at KPMG can contribute to these efforts, and as Chairman, I'm personally committed to holding myself and our leaders accountable for advancing our diversity goals. Together, we will work every day to ensure that KPMG remains a great place to work and build a career, for all our people.

— John Veihmeyer, Chairman and CEO, KPMG LLP