KPMG in the U.S. And in Canada Launch Metaverse Collaboration

Collaboration hub will engage our hybrid workforce, bringing employees, clients and communities together to drive innovation in the physical and digital worlds

KPMG in the U.S. and KPMG in Canada announced the opening of the first KPMG metaverse collaboration hub, where employees, clients and communities will connect, engage and explore opportunities for growth across industries and sectors. The collaboration hub is the next step in both firms’ journeys to lead their people and clients into Web 3.0. Both firms have formed dedicated teams to help clients develop and execute their own metaverse strategies.

“The metaverse is a market opportunity, a way to re-engage talent and a path to connect people across the globe through a new collaborative experience,” said Laura Newinski, deputy chair and chief operating officer at KPMG in the U.S. “The unique experience provided by our collaboration hub will tap the creativity and passion of our people and clients to accelerate innovation.”

“Launching a collaborative space in the metaverse is a natural evolution in our journey as an innovation-driven firm,” said Elio Luongo, chief executive officer and senior partner at KPMG in Canada. “The world has changed drastically over the last few years, and our people and clients are interested in exploring new ways of working. This offers them a new immersive space to exchange ideas.”

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Advancing KPMG in the U.S. and KPMG in Canada’s Web 3.0 journeys

The launch follows recent crypto and Web 3.0 announcements by both firms:

• KPMG in Canada has added Ethereum and Bitcoin to its corporate treasury and engaged with the broader crypto ecosystem through the acquisition of a World of Women NFT.
• KPMG in the U.S. has integrated the non-fungible token experience and crypto trainings into onboarding for new professionals.
• Both firms have begun leveraging Chain Fusion,a proprietary tool that helps provide audit services for financial services, fintech and crypto-native companies.

As part of their strategic innovation roadmap, the firms will continue to explore opportunities in the crypto and Web 3.0 space, co-create new tools and solutions that provide critical insights, launch immersive learning and development platforms, recruit talent to lend expertise and help navigate the evolving convergence of the physical and digital worlds, among other things.

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Accelerating innovation for the ‘phygital’ world

“The metaverse and Web 3.0 represent the next generation of the internet and will reshape the way businesses and consumers engage, transact, socialize and work,” said Cliff Justice, KPMG U.S.’ leader of Enterprise Innovation. “Business leaders are looking to move quickly past exploratory phases and deploy solutions to train employees, engage customers and extend their brand in this new market.”

“The metaverse is making it possible for us to experience the ‘phygital’ world, where physical and digital worlds collide,” said Armughan Ahmad, president & managing partner of Digital at KPMG in Canada. “The metaverse is a $13 trillion market opportunity that could boast as many as five billion users by 2030. Our first immersive metaversal experience will take our people, clients and communities beyond the traditional two-dimensional virtual environment and offer new levels of social connection, mobility and collaboration. Think of it as a world without borders that has the potential to enhance our lives by providing new opportunities to work, learn and play.”

Dedicated team to lead clients through the metaverse ecosystem

Both KPMG in the U.S. and KPMG in Canada have formed dedicated teams with deep technology and innovation experience to provide both strategic and technical support across the metaverse ecosystem, including metaverse design, use cases of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cryptoassets, community engagement and broader Web 3.0 integrations.

KPMG in the U.S. leaders include Cliff Justice, leader of Enterprise Innovation; Anu Puvvada, managing director of Innovation; and Kevin Bolen, head of Advisory Strategy and Investments. KPMG in Canada leaders include Armughan Ahmad, president & managing partner of Digital; Katie Bolla, Metaverse Services co-leader and partner of Customer Experience and Innovation; and Kareem Sadek, Metaverse Services co-leader and Cryptoassets and Blockchain Services co-leader.

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