KPMG Asia Pacific announces record results and a new regional strategy to enhance trust and drive growth, with plans for significant investment in talent and technology

PR76853

HONG KONG, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ -

-- The KPMG Asia Pacific Board has committed to invest over USD1bn in the next

four years to further develop and deliver innovative solutions to clients

across the region.

-- Asia Pacific will be an innovation hub for KPMG globally, with specific

focus on digital ignition centres, platform solutions, cyber security and cloud

services.

-- KPMG Asia Pacific will hire over 25,000 professionals to support client's

navigating through and succeeding in an increasingly complex environment of

disruption, transformation and regulatory changes.

KPMG Asia Pacific is pleased to announce record results for FY18 and plans for

significant regional investment in talent and technology, as well as enhanced

collaboration in the region.

Honson To, Chairman of KPMG's Asia Pacific region and Co-Chairman of KPMG

China, said: "We have just announced record results in FY18 for KPMG Globally

and in particular for Asia Pacific, achieving the fastest growth rates,

delivering USD4.9bn revenues and reflecting the strength and importance of our

multi-disciplinary Firm. We have also seen a 4th year of double digit advisory

growth in Asia Pacific. To build on this momentum, we are today announcing our

new regional strategy predicated on trust and growth with our ambition to

double in size over the next five years. We have committed to collectively

invest over USD1bn in a multi-year investment program to further develop

holistic and tailored solutions for our clients and also co-create with our

clients and strategic alliance partners through our new innovation hubs,

ignition centres and other centres of excellence across the region."

As the fastest growing region, KPMG Asia Pacific is also looking to expand its

footprint across all 20 countries and jurisdictions where it operates. This

includes plans to create over 25,000 diversely skilled professional roles over

the next four years, in line with the Firm's workforce of the future strategy,

focused on broadening capability to include STEM skills and developing the next

generation of cyber, cloud and regulatory change experts, solution architects

and digital transformation specialists.

Honson To added: "This is a very exciting time for our Firm and I am optimistic

about the future. We plan to create more jobs, and invest more money in

innovation and solution development than at any other point in our history.  

The scale and pace of this investment is critical to support the changing needs

and complexities facing our clients with a number of them expanding their

global capabilities and footprint, particularly our Regional Brand Defining

clients."  

"KPMG globally is increasingly looking to this region to act as a growth engine

for innovation. Our alliances with key technology partners, as well as our own

investments in digital solutions, are designed to help our clients seize the

opportunity of cloud based solutions to drive efficiency and service

improvements and to support international businesses into the region.  We are

developing innovative and transformational solutions ranging from Cyber

Security and Blockchain solutions, digital tax compliance solutions, as well as

significant investment in our Audit platform, Clara, to help enhance audit

quality. Our recently opened Digital Ignition Centres in Singapore and Japan,

as well as established centres in Australia and China, offer clients the chance

to use leading edge technology and explore how it can reshape their business, a

great example of our investment plan delivering benefits to clients in the

region."

"We will also continue to invest significantly to enhance quality and public

trust to ensure that business in the region can be conducted with confidence

and assurance," added To.

KPMG has recently launched its inaugural Global Inclusion & Diversity Report to

further emphasize focus on creating a truly inclusive and diverse culture as a

strategic priority. Key highlights for Asia Pacific include an increase in the

number of female partners to 23%, as well as women representing 54% of new

hires and 52% of the total workforce.

"The Firm's refreshed Asia Pacific strategy is closely aligned with the global

collective strategy and centred on greater regional collaboration and

integration, delivered through our new corporate structure and co-operation

agreement. This growth and investment is not only great news for KPMG and the

people we will hire, it will also play a major role in helping our region reach

its economic potential on the global stage," concluded To.

For more information and to read the report, please visit

www.kpmg.com/globalreview

About KPMG International

KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax

and Advisory services. We operate in 154 countries and territories and have

200,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member

firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative

("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct

and separate entity and describes itself as such.

For media enquiries, please contact: Brian Bannister, Global Head of

Communications, KPMG International

SOURCE: KPMG Asia Pacific