Leeds-based Chris Hearld is appointed to KPMG’s national executive leadership team

Mr Hearld has led the professional services firm in Yorkshire since 2012 and across the North for the last four years after joining the partnership in 2004.

During his time in charge of the regional office, KPMG has moved into its Sovereign Square office in Leeds and expanded its footprint to three Leeds city centre locations, including a managed services centre at Broadgate and a base at the the tech incubator, Nexus.

It has also opened a Sheffield office and grown its headcount to more than 1,000 people.

His new role will take effect from June 1 2019 and will see Mr Hearld take responsibility for the performance of KPMG’s business across the Midlands, South and Scotland in addition to the North, where he will continue to be based. He will have responsibility for more than 6,000 partners and employees across 21 offices, and thousands of clients and audit entities.

The process to appoint successors to his current Leeds and North roles is underway.

KPMG’s current Head of National Markets, Iain Moffatt, is retiring.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Hearld said: “The regions of the UK are amongst the most exciting, diverse and dynamic business heartlands to be found anywhere. So leading the part of our business that advises the entrepreneurs and executives at their helms as they work towards fulfilling their ambitions is an exciting privilege.

“The thousands of talented KPMG professionals throughout our regional markets work extremely hard to bring value to their clients and I am looking forward to working alongside many of them in my new role.”

Mr Hearld’s appointment is part of wider changes to KPMG’s national executive structure. At the heart of this is the creation of a new Audit Executive Committee which represents a change in the governance of KPMG’s audit business.