Liz Forsyth global head of KPMG's Infra, Government & Health group
Liz Forsyth, a partner at KPMG in Australia, has been promoted to Global Head of the firm’s Infrastructure, Government & Health industry group.
The appointment, which is effective October 1st, sees Forsyth take responsibility for the second largest of KPMG’s five industry practices globally. In the latest financial year, the unit accounted for 22% of the firm’s total global revenues, just behind the Financial Services practice (led by the American James Liddy) but ahead of the Industrial Markets, Consumer Markets, and Technology Media & Telecoms divisions.
Forsyth already has a global remit, leading KPMG’s Government & Public Sector vertical. She also is the Global Head of the firm’s Human and Social Services offering. Earlier in her KPMG career, she was the National Sector Lead of its Health, Ageing and Human Services practice in Australia, and Deputy Chairman of KPMG Australia for six years. She joined the Big Four firm in 2002 from BearingPoint, and before that she worked as a social worker.
Her passion lies in solving health and social policy reform, specialised in strategy, policy development, program design and reform, service improvement, resource allocation and funding methodologies and evaluation.
In her new role, she leads around 45,000 staff across 150 countries. She has big shoes to fill – over the past decade, the Infrastructure, Government & Health group trebled in size under the leadership of UK-based Mark Britnell, a former NHS executive who is now passing on the baton to Forsyth.
“I’m pleased that Liz Forsyth will take over responsibility, she will be awesome in the role,” said Britnell, who will continue as a partner at KPMG in the UK focused on clients in the healthcare sector.
According to Forsyth’s profile on KPMG’s website, she is a strong believer in an inclusive approach to solving problems and working together. “You can solve the problem at a theoretical level but changes in behaviour, in a system, in practice, all have to align and that’s a complicated thing to do. It’s important to bring your stakeholders along with you.”
The news comes shortly after another KPMG Australia partner – David Linke – was appointed to a global role. Per October 1st, the 30-year company veteran will become the firm’s Global Head of Tax & Legal services.
Earlier this month, KPMG unveiled that it has grown its Australian revenues by 7% to $1.9 billion in its latest financial year, although growth was slowed by some Covid-19 months being included in the reporting period. Globally, the accounting and consulting giant generates over $40 billion in fee income.
