As more and more people search for jobs that meet their needs, staying with one company for years or decades has become a rarity. But for Lisa Daniels, she found her place at KPMG and has worked at the firm for 29 years. 

Daniels was just appointed as Vice Chair of Growth and Strategy at KPMG (No. 11 on Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) in October, where she joined the firm’s “management committee to focus on ensuring the firm continues to serve its clients with excellence, implementing the firm’s strategy and enhancing its brand in the marketplace.” 

Throughout her time with KPMG, Daniels has worked across the firm’s three functions, audit, tax and advisory, which has given her a firm-wide perspective. Daniels has also been managing partner for KPMG’s Phoenix, Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices. 

“When you’re the managing partner of an office, you get a broad perspective of the value the firm can bring to our clients, you have a very client-centric mindset when putting groups of people together,” she said. 

Having the experience to put high-performing teams together from across the business is crucial to her role as Vice Chair of Growth and Strategy. 

“I’ve had the opportunity to work in six different geographies and serve some of our global clients as well,” she said. “So putting very diverse, high-performing teams together to solve problems is another skill [I have].”

KPMG’s Culture

Amid the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and other events, you might be asking what’s kept Daniels at one company for nearly three decades. 

“The ultimate reason is the culture and the inclusive nature of the organization,” she said. “I’ve had two kids while working here, and they both have grown and have jobs of their own and lives of their own. I really appreciate the experiences and the flexibility the firm has provided me in my time to balance both my personal and professional [life] throughout my career.”

Other team members at the firm are also looking for that flexibility and culture Daniels loves. They’re looking for “a firm that respects them for who they are, that respects diverse perspectives and skill sets, where they can show up and feel included and that they are adding value and learning new skills.”

“That is absolutely the culture at KPMG. And absolutely the culture within the growth and strategy of the organization,” she said.

In her first month on the job, Daniels has embraced “getting the teams together and hearing their diverse perspectives about our strategy and how we maximize our one-firm model and the different things where they can try and learn and continue to grow.”

“I can’t imagine working anywhere else that doesn’t value diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the goal.”