M&A Tax Partner is new Head of People for KPMG UK

KPMG has appointed Michelle Quest as UK Head of People, to lead the UK firm’s people strategy and policy development.[private]

Michelle takes over in the UK from Rachel Campbell, who was recently appointed KPMG’s Global Head of People.

Michelle joined KPMG from Robson Rhodes in 1997 and became an M&A Tax partner in the firm’s Tax and People Services practice in 2003.

Commenting on her appointment, Michelle said: “People are KPMG’s most valuable asset helping our clients to succeed in these changing times, so I feel very privileged to be taking on this role. KPMG has established itself as a leading employer in recent years and I am determined to build on this and to continue to shape our people policies to enable our staff to reach their full potential and deliver outstanding service to our clients.

“With signs that the worst of the recession may be behind us, the outlook is a little brighter for professional services firms. At KPMG, we are positioning ourselves for selective growth, particularly in our Advisory services, though it is of course important to remain extremely responsive to market conditions. We have also recently increased our planned September 2010 graduate intake by 25 percent, to over 750 students.”

John Griffith-Jones, senior partner of KPMG in the UK, commented: “I am delighted that Michelle is taking on this very important role. We know that in order to deliver the best service to clients we need to have the best people – our people philosophy is geared to enable us to achieve this, creating an environment where talent can flourish.”[/private]