SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Arun Kumar, who previously served as President Obama’s Commerce Secretary, has been named the newest chairman and chief executive of KPMG India.
He succeeds Richard Rekhy, who resigned last year after four years in the role. Kumar’s appointment will last at least five years, a statement from KPMG said.
One of the world’s largest audit and accounting firms, KPMG opened its India offices in Sept. 1993, and have since seen operations grow dramatically. In the last four years, the company has doubled it’s Indian workforce, it now includes 14,000 employees and more 70 partners.
Kumar is no stranger to KPMG — he’s spent the majority of his career in the public sector in the company’s operations in the U.S. He also served on the boards of KPMG U.S. and KPMG Americas between 2008 and 2013. From there, he began a three-year stint with the U.S. government as assistant secretary of commerce for global markets and director general of U.S. and foreign commercial service. In that role, Kumar played advisor and led industry professionals from 78 countries, as well as all 50 states.
He also worked to strengthen commercial ties between India and the U.S. and played a key role in establishing the India-U.S. strategic and commercial dialogue.
“Our global clients recognize the increasing significance of India as the fastest growing major economy in the world,” said John Veihmeyer, chairman, KPMG International. “I am delighted to welcome Arun back to KPMG. He is a trusted leader, who is recognized for his integrity, strategic vision and enduring relationships and I am confident that under Arun’s leadership, KPMG India will continue to provide exceptional service to our clients, enhance our brand and further strengthen our reputation for the highest quality.”
Kumar reacted to the appointment: “I am honored to have been elected as the chairman and CEO of KPMG in India. I have worked closely with the people of KPMG India for many years and have always been impressed by their world class talent. I am excited to have this opportunity to work with the KPMG team in India to continue to build an organization that is recognized for their quality and for the impact they have on our clients.”
