KPMG US has taken down years of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) reports from its website and ended its Accelerate 2025 initiative following Donald Trump’s election. The firm cited changing legal requirements and compliance with executive orders affecting federal contractors.
According to the Financial Times, KPMG had published annual transparency reports since 2020, detailing efforts to improve representation of women and minorities. These reports are now unavailable, with their web pages redirecting to KPMG’s homepage. A source told FT that the firm wanted its website to reflect updated policies.
CEO Paul Knopp informed employees that Accelerate 2025, which aimed for half of KPMG’s partners and managing directors to be from under-represented groups by 2025, was being discontinued. He pointed to shifting legal regulations but said the firm remained committed to inclusivity.
Trump’s administration has moved to limit DEI efforts in the government and private sector. His executive order requires federal contractors to confirm their DEI programs do not violate anti-discrimination laws. KPMG, which earns $400 million annually from federal contracts, is adjusting its policies accordingly.
Other consulting firms, including Deloitte and Accenture, have also scaled back DEI commitments. Deloitte and PwC removed links to past reports, and Deloitte took down some DEI-related pages.
KPMG will still track workforce diversity. As of September 2023, 45.3% of its US partners and managing directors were from under-represented groups, up from 39.3% in 2020.