Shock exits at scandal-hit KPMG as top legal and people leaders step down ahead of key parliamentary grilling.
KPMG’s general counsel Louise Capon and national managing partner of people and inclusion Dorothy Hisgrove are leaving the firm, just days before they are due to appear at a high-stakes parliamentary hearing into allegations of misconduct and whistleblower mismanagement.
The departures add to a growing list of senior exits at the scandal-plagued Big Four firm.
Capon, who has spent more than a decade at KPMG, is stepping down immediately from her role as general counsel but will stay on briefly to assist with the transition. Hisgrove will remain in her position until a replacement is appointed after five years in the people and inclusion role.
Both executives are scheduled to give evidence this Friday before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.
KPMG declined to comment when approached for a statement.
Whistleblower Allegations Under Intense Scrutiny
The committee has been investigating claims first raised in Parliament by Senator Deborah O’Neill in March. The allegations, brought by a whistleblower and former KPMG executive, centre on the alleged misuse of confidential audit information and the firm’s subsequent treatment of the person who raised concerns.
An independent investigation by global law firm Allens recently confirmed one key claim: that former chief operating officer Eileen Hoggett inappropriately retained client information in a locker — something KPMG had previously denied. Hoggett was expelled from the partnership last month after the new evidence emerged.
Leadership Exodus Continues
Capon and Hisgrove’s departures follow a string of high-profile exits since the scandal broke, including:
- Former chief executive Andrew Yates
- Former chairman Martin Sheppard
- Former national managing partner of audit and assurance Julian McPherson
- Audit partners Kim Lawry and Paul Rogers
The timing of these latest exits, coming just before another public hearing, is likely to intensify questions about culture, governance and accountability at the firm.
