KPMG announced this week that Anne Collins, its global general counsel, has stepped down amid ongoing fallout from a whistleblower controversy involving the firm’s Australian operations. Collins, based in Sydney, had served as general counsel since 2016 and was replaced by Susan Walsh, the London-based deputy global general counsel.
The change in leadership coincides with a broader executive reshuffle following the appointment of Gary Wingrove as KPMG International’s new chief executive on Thursday. Wingrove, who previously served as CEO of KPMG Australia and most recently as chief operating officer for KPMG International in London, reportedly indicated to senior partners that Collins’s departure had been planned in tandem with the retirement of former global CEO Bill Thomas.
The resignation comes after several high-profile investigations and political scrutiny linked to allegations that senior partners at KPMG Australia misused confidential client information to win additional audit business. The controversy emerged from a whistleblower complaint made public in 2024 and subsequently examined by an Australian parliamentary committee. KPMG acknowledged that the whistleblower’s concerns were not adequately addressed by the firm’s Australian leadership.
According to sources familiar with internal communications, the whistleblower had also approached KPMG’s global leadership, including Collins and Thomas, but was reportedly informed that there was insufficient evidence to initiate a formal internal investigation. KPMG’s global governance, which operates as a network of locally owned partnerships under a central brand umbrella, indicated it lacked authority to compel the Australian unit to take action.
The scandal has deeply affected KPMG’s business in Australia, with the firm’s former Australian CEO and several senior executives removed from their positions. Major clients and government contracts have been lost or frozen amid the controversy. This includes ANZ Bank’s recent decision to end a 59-year relationship with KPMG as its auditor, marking a significant setback for the firm. Other clients that have severed ties or limited work with KPMG include insurer IAG, property firm Lendlease—whose confidential documents were reportedly accessed improperly by KPMG audit partners—and Macquarie.
The revelations and subsequent fallout have forced KPMG Australia’s new management to enact substantial job cuts and reassess client relationships, underscoring the reputational and operational challenges the firm now faces in the wake of the whistleblower’s claims.