Chief Purpose Officer, KPMG
Professional and Industry Experience
Richard is KPMG Australia’s Chief Purpose Officer. He is also founding Partner of KPMG’s first dedicated human rights and social impact advisory team, KPMG Banarra. Richard offers over 25 years of experience in advising on and helping companies manage their social and human rights risks, particularly in complex operating contexts.
His strengths are engaging decision makers on strategic questions in relation to purpose, values and culture and asking the most challenging but important question that leads to many an executive’s career ah-ha
moment. He is widely published and a regular speaker at conferences.
Richard is appointed as KPMG Australia’s inaugural Chief Purpose Officer in 2021 reporting to the CEO. It’s a role that includes being a challenger, navigator and enabler to activate KPMG’s purpose, values and expected behaviours. In designing the role’s scope and position within KPMG’s governance and management frameworks he drew on his decades of client consulting experience.
Founded Banarra in 2001 which was acquired by KPMG in 2015 and Richard was Partner In Charge then Partner until 2023.
He started his career as an anti-corporate campaigner running global human rights campaigns from The Netherlands against global resource companies.
Consulting Highlights
Richard led the team that transformed human rights governance and management framework for one of the world’s largest financial institutions.
He has provided over two decades of advice to BHP, including leading the practical implementation of BHP’s second line Social Impacts and Opportunities framework. He also developed industry sustainability frameworks for the property and grain sectors in Australia.
Richard led a two-year sustainability strategy, implementation, and transformation program for a global rice business involved in both direct-to-consumer brands and business-to-business commodity transactions, producing for both humans and pets.
Other Experience
Richard is the chair of Boccia Australia, the recognized National Sporting Organization for boccia in Australia for the Paralympic sport of boccia., and a board member for World Boccia, recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the International Federation representing boccia globally. Richard is also a member of the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioners Advisory Committee.
