KPMG Australia Chair Martin Sheppard Resigns Amid Whistleblower Scandal

National chairman Martin Sheppard announced his resignation from KPMG Australia following a bruising parliamentary hearing that exposed alleged misuse of confidential client information. The hearing highlighted that audit partners Paul Rogers and Eileen Hoggett had accessed data from long‑term client Lendlease, with allegations also involving Macquarie Group, Westpac, Dexus and Optus. A whistleblower claimed the firm tried to dismiss him after his protected disclosure.

KPMG has pledged a governance overhaul, appointing its first independent chair and expanding independent board members to oversee audit quality, ethics and whistleblower oversight. The firm will also commission an external review of the whistleblower matter. The Australian federal government has suspended KPMG from winning new contracts for several months, and major client Lendlease is preparing to drop the auditor. These steps aim to restore trust and address the cultural failures uncovered during the inquiry.