We maintain constant dialogue with our stakeholders to help us understand their needs, build trust, and define value creation, as well as to identify specific risks and opportunities for our business.[1]
Defining our stakeholders
To identify our stakeholders, we use a 360-degree approach that considers any individual or group affecting our business, operations, or performance or who, in turn, may be affected by our activities or decision-making. Using this definition, we recognize eight separate stakeholder groups:
Clients (including public, private, and volunteer sectors)
Employees (including professionals, graduates, and other jobseekers)
Equity partners
Wider society (including non-governmental organizations and local community groups)
Regulators, policymakers, and other standard-setters
Suppliers and other non-client business partners
Membership associations and other KPMG member firms
The natural environment (silent stakeholder)
For more information on how we engage with stakeholders on sustainability matters and integrate their views into our strategy, see the General disclosures chapter 1.6 Interests and views of stakeholders (new window) of our sustainability statement.
Overview of stakeholder engagement activities
We engage with our stakeholders through a range of means, including regular meetings, conferences, events, and surveys.
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Methods of engagement |
Principal issues addressed (2023/2024) |
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Clients (including public, private, and volunteer sectors) |
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Visit by Board of Management members (as part of our Leadership Connect program) |
(Supervisory) Board level topics including Leadership, societal and cultural challenges; mandatory firm rotation; geopolitical developments and trust |
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Client events |
A broad array of topics including CSRD, AI, digital transformation, regulatory changes |
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Regular contact during Assurance/Advisory engagements |
(Audit) quality, team and collaboration, regulatory changes (including CSRD), innovation, pricing, project management |
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Client satisfaction surveys (including client care interviews) |
Quality of work, relationship, differentiation, added value, timely/proactive communication |
|
Employees |
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|
Annual GPS (supported by multiple pulse surveys) |
Engagement; work environment; leadership; performance development; IDE; ethical culture; (audit) quality; innovation |
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Dialogue with Works Council |
Remuneration and benefits; data privacy; organizational changes; performance development; health and well-being; ethical culture |
|
Dialogue with KPMG Young Board Now |
ESG; innovation; culture; IDE; leadership |
|
Performance reviews, training, education, and awareness programs |
Progress on personal and professional KPIs; development opportunities; diverse career paths; re- and upskilling to meet changing client demands; living our values; approach to pay |
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Regular internal communications |
Psychological safety in the workplace; engagement; leadership visibility; ethical culture |
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Careers section on website, in-house days, and KPMG N.V. events for jobseekers and professionals |
IDE programs and initiatives; employer branding; equal opportunities; attracting the required (diverse) skills to drive growth |
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Partnerships with universities and business schools |
New career paths (ESG/digital); leadership development in twin transition |
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Equity partners |
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Quarterly partner meetings |
Relevant business issues including ethics and culture; (audit) quality; societal issues; business development |
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General shareholder meetings / meetings with Management Board of Coöperatie KPMG U.A. |
Financial and overall performance; business update; rising costs; ethical behavior and culture |
|
Performance reviews, training, education, and awareness programs |
Progress on personal and professional KPIs; development opportunities; diverse career paths; re- and upskilling to meet changing client demands; living our values; approach to pay |
|
GPS and pulse surveys |
Skills shortages; recruitment; engagement; innovation; (audit) quality; performance development; leadership (visibility); work environment; IDE; ethical culture |
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Wider society (including non-governmental organizations and local community groups) |
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Support for community initiatives |
Thought leadership program (including KPMG Insights) |
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Press releases and engagement with media |
Roll-out of KPMG Impact Plan; investigation into answer sharing related to mandatory training tests |
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Regulators, policymakers, and other standard-setters |
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Inspections by external regulators |
Investigation into answer sharing related to mandatory training tests; inspection of our SoQM regarding engagement quality control reviews (EQCRs); inspection of the role of the EQCR on four engagements |
|
Participation in public conferences, debates, and round tables |
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|
Meetings with the AFM |
New EU non-financial reporting requirements (CSRD); future of audit (including education); answer-sharing investigation; enhanced supervision; regular updates on audit quality (including audit quality indicators) |
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Meetings with the NBA |
Collaboration on new Registered Accountant curriculum and practical internship (praktijkstage) |
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Membership associations and other KPMG member firms |
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Regular dialogue with other KPMG member firms |
Group projects (including KPMG Clara, Global AI Program) |
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Global projects (Connected, Powered, Trusted, AI, ESG) |
Key Alliance partnerships (e.g., Microsoft, SAP, and ServiceNow) |
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KPMG N.V. representation in professional and industry associations |
Societal issues; skills shortages; market/economic developments; technology and digitalization; increasing prices for goods and services |
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Suppliers and other non-client business partners |
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Regular engagement with suppliers and other business partners during projects |
Use of group resources (e.g. Global Growth Accelerator and KPMG Delivery Network) |
|
The natural environment (silent stakeholder) |
ESG; CSRD implementation; regulatory developments |
Membership associations
As part of our stakeholder management, we participate in various membership associations. These include the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW); the Dutch network for Sustainably Responsible Organizations (MVO Nederland); UN Global Compact Network Netherlands, promoting corporate sustainability with the aim of improving the lives of future generations; and Anders Reizen (Travel Differently), a coalition aiming to reduce business travel emissions by 50% by 2030.