For any international business, it's difficult to have a single global view and approach

1. For Any International Business, It's
Difficult to Have a Single Global View
and Approach: KPMG's Allen

2. Contd…
Gender and cultural diversity are critical com
ponents of finding innovative answers to complex issues like cyber security, data &
analytics and tax transparency that companies are wrestling with now, according to
Isabelle Allen, global head of clients and markets at KPMG International. Allen, who
drives KPMG's diversity agenda globally, spoke exclusively to ET's Rica
Bhattacharyya. Edited excerpts:
What role does gender diversity play in the context of issues that a workplace faces
in a rapidly disruptive environment?
There are lot of the challenges and opportunities that companies are wrestling with
now -cyber security, data & analytics, tax transparency and responsibility to name a
few. All of these ssues need different perspectives to think through how to tackle
them. Gender and cultural diversity becomes a critical component of finding
innovative answers to such complex issues. Why would you deprive yourself of half
the population when you are trying to address completely new issues companies
haven't faced before?

3. Contd…
Are you talking about the business case of gender diversity?
Absolutely. We see the business case for gender diversity at KPMG. A great example
is our work with WCD -Women Corporate Directors Foundation -the largest
community of women directorsboard members globally. We can equip women
directorsboard members, so that they are more effective in their roles, and find
and help mentor the next generation. We are now at a point where there are
thousands of women who are board members directors around the world, and
these numbers are rising by the day. So, our determination to do the right thing is a
rational and commercial imperative.
We believe that if there are more women on boards then it contributes to better
decisions at the board table.We started from a very limited pool of current women
board members and now, in India, you have a law that says you must have more, so
you need to move quickly to scale up the pipeline of talented women to be a part
of and effective in the boardroom. Our involvement with WCD in India will help
meet that need. That will be a very positive contribution to diversity.

4. Contd…
What are the reasons for the slow pace of progress?
I think some of the challenges are structural, which can make it harder for women
at particular times in their career. For example, taking time off to raise a family. We
also have a lot of cultural challenges; if you go to Japan, if you go to India, if you go
to Germany, the cultural norms are different. So, for any global business, it is
difficult to have a single global view and approach.
Do we need to see more women in client-facing, revenue-driving roles?
The new CEO of KPMG in the US (Lynne Doughtie), which is our largest member-
firm, is a woman. She was the best qualified and most able person for the job. And,
in Australia, KPMG's member firm has just published the target that they want to
achieve in terms of gender diversity. I know that KPMG UK's senior partner has
written to all our head hunters and said `unless you present to me a diverse list of
candidates, we are not going to work with you anymore'. These are really practical
examples of steps that can, and are, being taken.

5. Contd…
Do you have any specific diversity target in mind?
We have over 160,000 people working for KPMG memberfirms around
the world and we will, hopefully, double that number in the next few
years, so we are talking about recruiting a huge number of people in to
very prestigious, professional roles. I am confident that an increasing
number of them will be women and that we will make pro gress
towards gender diversity.

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