Big challenge for Big Four

One of my bosses once said: “If I interfere in your conflict, neither of you will like the outcome. Handle it yourself.”

This line has stayed with me for decades. This is exactly the choice the Big Four accounting firms currently face because of their carefully built reputations of trust. To leave public.

KPMG Australia refused to resolve the issue on its own. As a result, under pressure, in June 2026 chairman Martin Sheppard and audit partners Paul Rogers and Eileen Hoggett announced they would leave KPMG Australia, following the earlier departure of CEO Andrew Yates and head of audit Julian McPherson.