KPMG UK has appointed Hilary Eastman as a partner in its accountancy advisory services wing. She joins the firm to lead the support it provides clients as they look to comply with new ESG reporting requirements.

Richard Andrews, partner and head of ESG at KPMG UK, said, “One of the key elements driving the conversations around ESG in boardrooms is the growing need for external reporting. We have seen an exponential increase in ESG-related reporting demands from investors and regulators in recent years, who are looking for high quality information to inform their decision-making and on which to base their assessments of those companies. Hilary’s experience will help our clients understand new reporting requirements while keeping a focus on delivering information that is useful to investors.”

As environmental, social and governance (ESG) becomes more important to consumers, who are increasingly inclined to shun companies with poor ESG track-records, companies are struggling to adapt while still performing well as a business. This is seeing a growing demand in the $9 billion market of sustainability consultants, who can help proactively improve upon ESG issues without diminishing business outcomes.

Eastman joins more than 350 dedicated ESG specialists currently working within KPMG’s UK firm, supporting both private and public clients across a range of ESG related services, including reporting and assurance, decarbonisation, climate risk and nature strategy and transformation, sustainable supply chains, advising on deals and ESG due diligence. As a partner at the firm, Eastman will lead KPMG UK’s ESG reporting practice, advising FTSE and other corporate clients in developing their approach to mandatory and voluntary sustainability reporting in the UK and other jurisdictions.

She brings over 20 years of experience in corporate reporting, investor engagement, and business valuation to KPMG. She joins the firm from Big Four rival PwC, where she led the firm’s global investor engagement programme, responsible for understanding investor views on corporate reporting and assurance. She is also a former senior technical manager at the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), giving her insight into the world of regulation.

Speaking on her appointment, Eastman added, “It’s an exciting time to be joining KPMG and to get to work supporting our clients. The combination of my understanding of what investors are looking for and my knowledge of developing accounting standards and performing valuations helps me bring a comprehensive and pragmatic perspective to reporting. I am particularly interested in the future direction of corporate reporting, including the connectivity between sustainability and financial reporting and the potential for technology to influence how corporate information is generated and consumed.”