In Front of Financial Services Transformation

"It's been a rollercoaster ride, in a good way," Grace says, reflecting on her transition from Audit to Advisory. “I started in Audit when I first joined the firm. After five years, I wanted a change. Thanks to the firm’s talent mobility programme, I was given an opportunity to join the financial services regulatory compliance team in Advisory. The rest is history.”

This career move called for significant adaptability and an intrinsic motivation for excellence, as each consulting project is unique in scope, with no one-size-fits-all approach – a stark contrast with audit’s structured methodology.

Nonetheless, the analytical skills acquired in audit gave her an edge and propelled her growth in advisory, where she honed the art of active listening – a core skill in becoming a trusted advisor “who effectively distils clients’ real needs,” as she elaborates. This is now a cornerstone of her approach in providing effective advice and solutions for clients and businesses looking to transform in the evolving landscape. 

Having observed the financial services industry’s evolution firsthand, Grace identifies digital disruption as the most significant change, predicting that the industry will continue to be shaped by transformational technology such as AI today, and possibly quantum technology tomorrow. 

Despite these digital evolutions, people and talent strategies still remain central to delivering effective solutions and outcomes, as Grace notes.

One major concern which clients have about the organisational changes that digital disruption demands is speed to market, to cater to changing customer preferences, although Grace adds that this is frequently subordinate to the talent challenge. “It is always about people – whether the existing workforce has the relevant skills and capabilities to adapt to the changes,” she explains. 

The challenge of sustaining workforce capabilities amid technological disruption requires organisations to fundamentally rethink their talent strategies, including strategic workforce planning that begins with skills identification. 

"You have to identify the specific skills required to power the business goals  ," she explains. This might involve upskilling existing staff, hiring specialists, or adopting new approaches such as managed services and co-sourcing arrangements. 

With an eye on the future, Grace has long championed talent development initiatives at KPMG. This includes her deep involvement in KNOW – KPMG Network of Women, a voluntary, employee-led group that focuses on creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace – and Explore Programme, a new two-year graduate programme that enables fresh graduates to rotate across Audit, Advisory and Tax teams.

The aim of Explore Programme is to develop the core and diverse skills needed in KPMG graduate associates for them to continue to excel, regardless of their eventual business team placement after two years. These core skills include exercising sound professional judgement, the ability to identify and manage risk, and essential soft skills such as effective communication with clients.