KPMG’s announcement of a new chair was upstaged by the release of an email chain that shed light on his views on the whistleblower’s allegations of serious misconduct.
In a move intended to “address integrity issues, strengthen accountability and rebuild trust”, KPMG Australia has announced the appointment of Michael Ebeid AM as its first independent chairman, subject to partnership agreement changes and partner approval.
In a statement to media, Ebeid said: “I have agreed to take on this role because I believe in and respect KPMG.”
“Despite the challenges the firm is facing, my resolve to support its important work is even stronger. I believe KPMG can recover, rebuild and emerge a better firm,” Ebeid added.
Ebeid has stepped into the role following the sensational exits of chief executive Andrew Yates and chairman Martin Sehppard.
The resignations resulted from the ongoing fallout over the firm’s treatment of a whistleblower who revealed two incidents of client documents being shared inappropriately and one incident of an inappropriate remark about sharing client information.
Shortly after Ebeid’s new position was announced, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services published a March 2026 email chain between a handful of the firm’s key executives, including Ebeid, deputy chair Carmell Mortell and Sheppard.
Ebeid’s email, which came in response to Mortell and Sheppard sharing transcripts from the inquiry, claimed O’Neill made “no attempt” to...
The federal government is cracking down on fraud in the healthcare industry, prioritizing False Claims Act (FCA) whistleblower complaints, and perhaps targeting the medical technology industry mor...