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Bina Mehta

Bina Mehta

ONE does not get leadership roles without some luck and a lot of support, feels top business executive Bina Mehta MBE. Now in her second term as the Chair of business consulting and accountancy firm KPMG, she is the first woman to hold the role of Chair in the firm’s 150-year plus history. She was first appointed to this role in February 2021 following the firm’s adoption of a new governance model that split the role of chair and chief executive. After spending over 30 years at KPMG for over 30 years, she is an authority in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as well as in restructuring, advising leading private and listed international clients. Speaking to the GG2 Power List, Mehta extensively discussed her beliefs, goals, achievements, and various other aspects of her work at KPMG.

“I am very proud to be the first female to Chair KPMG UK. “It’s the culmination of almost three decades of working with many global businesses, advising them, among other things, through complex M&A transactions and cross-border restructurings to help them deliver long-term, sustainable growth. “The path has not always been straight and at times it’s been challenging – but it has always been fulfilling. That’s partly thanks to working alongside some extremely talented colleagues who have inspired me every step of the way. “You don’t get to leadership roles without some luck and a lot of support.


It’s a privilege to now be able to reciprocate by leading our board and helping to build a culture at KPMG UK where everyone can thrive,” she said. Today, Mehta not only leads the KPMG board’s focus on strategy and performance, but she is also a torchbearer on transformation of the firm’s culture, reputation and quality while shaping its future strategy. At KPMG UK, she is actively enabling a diverse and inclusive culture so that all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. Under Mehta’s leadership, KPMG UK became one of the first organisations to publish its socio-economic background pay gaps as well as set ambitious targets to increase the number of senior employees from a working-class background. Mehta acknowledges that there has been a huge shift over the past 30 years on gender ratio and pay gap. “When I started my career there was pretty much an even split of men and women at my grade, however when I looked at the leadership, I could count on one hand the number of female partners. This wasn’t unique to my business or industry,” she said. The business-driven emphasis on representation has significantly advanced, propelled by the spotlight of both the Hampton Alexander and FTSE Women Leaders Reviews, she said. She further affirmed that KPMG UK’s Board and Executive Committee have achieved broad gender balance, with each comprising 44 per cent of females.

“Our three capabilities are also led by women. We still have further to go; while over a quarter of our partners are female, we want to see equal female representation at every level of our organisation and have set clear targets to 2030,” Mehta said. To meet gender ratio targets, Mehta advocates a flexible working environment. The firm has also introduced Network of Women where employees get guidance on key challenges and issues such as fertility, menopause and women’s safety. “But again, while it is encouraging to see the gender pay gap decreasing, we know more progress is needed and that needs to happen at an accelerated pace. Representation at all levels within the organisation is a key part of this.” She hosts regular listening sessions with the firm’s Ethics Champions, who are available to colleagues to raise concerns they may have about any ethical or integrity matter within KPMG, or any concerns they have around other non-values compliant behaviour.

This serves as a useful ‘temperature check’, she revealed. Mehta also represents the professional services industry – she is on the government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group and sits on the Professional Services Trade Advisory Group. She is a council member of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, a member of The Professional Business Services Council (PBSC) and sits on the International Business & Diplomatic Exchange Advisory Board. Additionally, she co-chairs the Women Corporate Directors London Chapter, bringing together fellow female non-executive directors and providing a forum to discuss business, macroeconomic and societal issues. In January 2022, Mehta was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to trade and investment in the UK, and for her work supporting female entrepreneurs. So, what is her success mantra? “Everyone’s definition of success will be different. However, I believe you must find something that excites you, a purpose that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. “For me, this has really evolved during my 30-plus year career. But the one thing that has been constant is my values and the alignment with the work I do.” Although she does not have any regrets, she wishes she was less self-critical in the early stages of her career. “My path has not always been linear so at times it was hard to feel like I was progressing. But I embrace that now. “Being open to opportunities has provided me with so many wonderful experiences – a life of experience as much as a career.” Mehta also hosts her own podcast, ‘Pull up a Chair with Bina Mehta’, which convenes fellow chairs and business leaders to discuss their views on sustainable growth. For young finance and business aspirants, Mehta encourages them to seek a good mentor who can provide independent guidance, challenge and support. “With ever growing complexity, new ways of working, the impact of artificial intelligence and the focus on ESG (environmental social and governance), the qualities needed by future leaders will evolve hugely – and they will need to possess influence and the ability to collaborate, as well as flexibility and agility, empathy and humility, connectedness. “Without wanting to generalise, I think that women can be very good at those skills. I’m excited for the next generation and can’t wait to see what they achieve,” Mehta said. Mehta herself never cared about societal norms or expectations. “I just did the best job I could. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked in India, Canada and the US as well as the UK and in each country I have enjoyed my work, formed friendships with my colleagues and delivered for my clients. I have also been lucky enough to have a supportive family, something I don’t take for granted,” she concluded.

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