Martin Sheppard elected as KPMG Australia's next national chair

KPMG’s partnership has tapped company veteran Martin Sheppard to succeed Alison Kitchen as the firm’s next national chairman. Sheppard has been with the KPMG for close to 30 years.

Professional service firm KPMG has selected Client, Growth and Markets national managing partner Martin Sheppard as its next national chairman upon the completion of Alison Kitchen’s term at the end of August.

A former senior partner, Sheppard returned to KPMG in 2018 following a two-year stint as the CEO of Spotless Group, since then serving as a member of the national executive committee. He has altogether spent almost three decades at the firm.

An economics graduate of Australian National University, Sheppard first joined KPMG in 1993, working with large clients in Melbourne, Sydney and London in areas such as aviation, energy & natural resources, and consumer markets as a lead client partner and auditor, including for the likes of BHP and Qantas. In 2015, Sheppard was appointed CEO of services delivery company Spotless, overseeing a $3 billion business with over 35,000 employees.

“Martin is well known and respected by boards and CEOs across Australia as a leader and highly effective decision-maker,” commented Kitchen. “I am delighted that he will succeed me and congratulate Martin on his appointment. He will work closely with our CEO Andrew Yates to lead the firm’s future in Australia, and represent the Australian firm in the international arena. I look forward to working with Martin to ensure a smooth transition.”

Since returning to KPMG as a member of the firm’s 13-strong national executive committee in 2018, Sheppard has served as Client, Growth and Markets lead with responsibility for four industry groups (which have been recently rejigged) and 17 sectors. Additionally, Sheppard in the role has overseen the firm’s acquisitions, investment priorities, and major projects at the national level, along with alliances, sales enablement, and market intelligence.

“I am extremely pleased and grateful to our partners for entrusting this critical role to me,” Sheppard stated. “The role of National Chairman at KPMG is pivotal to upholding the highest standards of governance and all aspects of our firm’s performance. I look forward to utilising my experience to ensure that KPMG continues to develop and deliver the critical professional services the market needs to enable change and uphold confidence.”

Sheppard will take over from the 1st of September, with Kitchen having held the post since 2017 – the first woman to be elected as KPMG national chairman. Currently based out of Melbourne, Kitchen has been with the firm for more than three decades and held a number of senior leadership roles during that time, including as national head of energy and natural resources. KPMG didn’t state if Kitchen would continue as a member of the board.