NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- KPMG International today announced that John B. Veihmeyer has been selected by its board of directors as KPMG's next Global Chairman, to succeed Michael Andrew who is retiring after serving as Global Chairman since May 2011.

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Andrew has recently been diagnosed with a serious medical condition and will focus on his treatment and recovery while continuing his work as Co-Chair of the Australian B20 Working Group on Anti-Corruption.

Veihmeyer currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KPMG's U.S. firm, and will continue in those roles as Global Chairman.  He received the unanimous support of the Board and his selection is expected to be ratified at the March meeting of senior partners from KPMG's network of firms around the world.  Veihmeyer will continue to be based in New York City. 

Andrew said: "I congratulate John on being selected as the next KPMG Global Chairman.  He is an outstanding leader, a good friend and has already made a significant contribution to KPMG in his leadership of the U.S. member firm. He is the ideal person to lead our network into this next important phase of our growth."

"The opportunity to lead KPMG globally is a privilege and honor, and I look forward to working alongside our incredibly talented professionals from around the world," said Veihmeyer, who began his career with KPMG.  "My focus will be continuing to strengthen our global reputation for quality and professionalism, as well as our status as one of the world's great places to work and build a career."

Veihmeyer has served as Chairman and CEO of KPMG's firm in the U.S. since 2010.  He also currently serves as Chairman of KPMG's Americas region, a position from which he will step down upon becoming Global Chairman.  He is a member of KPMG's global executive team, and has previously held numerous other leadership roles at KPMG, including as Deputy U.S. Chairman; managing partner of KPMG's Washington, D.C. operations; and Global Head of Risk Management and Regulatory.  

"On behalf of our board and all our professionals, I want to thank Michael Andrew for the enormous progress made under his leadership," Veihmeyer said. "Michael's understanding of the unique opportunities presented by emerging markets, demonstrated by his decision to base his office in Hong Kong, as well as his relentless focus on quality and integrity has helped position KPMG as a leader in an increasingly global and complex marketplace. We are indebted to him, and he has our best wishes as he focuses on his recovery."

Veihmeyer is a recognized leader on the issues of diversity in the work force, education, and the critical role of ethics and integrity in business leadership.  He has consistently been named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today magazine, and one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Corporate Governance by Directorship Magazine.  In 2013, Mr. Veihmeyer was honored as "Responsible CEO of the Year" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine.  In 2011, he received the CEO Leadership Award from Diversity Best Practices for his commitment to diversity, and he has also been recognized for his work on KPMG's Family for Literacy (KFFL), a signature community outreach initiative dedicated to fighting childhood illiteracy.  In its five-year history, KFFL has provided more than 2 million books to children in need and refurbished libraries around the U.S.  Veihmeyer is also a member of the Business Roundtable and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College Business Advisory Council.  He serves on the Governing Board for the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and the board of the U.S.-India Business Council.  He is currently Co-Chair of CEOs Against Cancer, and a Board member of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) and the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF).

Veihmeyer is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and lives with his wife in Maryland.  He has three grown children.

About KPMG

KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 155 countries and have more than 155,000 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 member firm is a distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.

B20

The B20 Coalition brings together business leaders from the G20 economies and advises on the views of more than 6.5 million small, medium and large companies.  Australia is the current holder of the G20 Presidency.

SOURCE KPMG International