Salim joined KPMG over 20 years ago on the Audit graduate programme. He did an MA in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Oxford. Since joining, he has held a number of leadership roles within KPMG.
"At school and university, I always wanted to be a scientist. But life nearly always has other plans – I ended up as an accountant!
My career is one of embracing opportunities. I distinctly remember a cold, dark February evening many years ago – I was a Senior Manager at the time – on a train journey with a Partner I was working with. He turned to me and asked me out of the blue whether I would be interested in an opportunity in South Africa.
I didn’t know anything about South Africa at all. But at that moment, somewhere sunny certainly sounded appealing. I accepted on the spot, and I spent a wonderful two years out there.
There is a tendency here to take the personal and professional development opportunities at KPMG for granted somewhat. When you’re in the middle of something, or you’re used to something, you can forget that it’s actually quite special.
“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I know it will be exciting.”
When I was transitioning to Partner, the training was truly exceptional and taught me so many critical, world-class skills.
Now I deliver that same training to new Partners. That’s how things operate here, there’s a cycle of reinforced learning and support that’s hard to beat.
I feel an intense loyalty to KPMG. From the newest starter to the most Senior Partner, everybody here is trying to do the right thing, by living our values and embracing our quality-first culture. We are trying to be a positive influence on business, and society in general. That’s powerful."
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