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Building on a strong track record of investment in Indigenous Australia over the past 15 years, the launch of KPMG Indigenous Services will meet a growing demand for professional services from the 10,000-plus Indigenous enterprises across Australia.

Under the leadership of experienced financial services executive Glen Brennan, KPMG Indigenous Services will focus on providing the firm’s suite of professional services to Indigenous businesses, enterprises and Traditional Owners.

Mr Brennan, who joins KPMG as a Partner after almost 15 years with ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Australia Bank, said driving economic development will underpin his approach.

“I’m passionate about growing Indigenous enterprise and delighted to be joining KPMG, a firm with a long history of working with Indigenous Australians with market-leading skills. Our new business will build on the substantial platform of engagement already established by KPMG, helping Indigenous Australians achieve their aspirations by growing their businesses.”

“I’ve spent much of my life attempting to make a positive impact on the lives of my people and our vision is to harness the expertise and capability of KPMG’s professional services and deliver it to where it is most needed and can make the most difference,” he said.

Indigenous businesses are growing in number and size across all parts of Australia. The most recent Census showed the number of Indigenous businesses was growing 30 times faster than non-Indigenous businesses.

KPMG Australia CEO, Gary Wingrove said: “KPMG’s deep experience and engagement in Indigenous business has helped us recognise how best to support commercial enterprise.”

“While there is undoubtedly a social imperative for Indigenous Australia to participate in economic growth, the genesis of KPMG Indigenous Services is absolutely demand-driven. Indigenous enterprises and organisations face the same challenges as non-Indigenous businesses but are often lacking scale or are on much steeper growth trajectories.”

“With our expertise and capabilities, KPMG can offer Indigenous businesses the full range of advice and services to fulfil their growth potential. We believe that successful, commercial enterprise and a strong Indigenous business sector is key to transformative social and economic outcomes for Indigenous business owners, their families and communities,” he added.

KPMG has had a longstanding involvement in reconciliation and Indigenous social and economic development since 2006, empowering its people to use their professional skills to enhance the capacity and build the sustainability of Indigenous organisations and businesses.

As a Founding Member of Supply Nation in 2009 (then AIMSC), KPMG has a demonstrated commitment to procuring from Indigenous businesses for more than a decade. More recently, KPMG was a founding signatory to the Business Council of Australia’s Raising the Bar initiative and is the first professional services firm to have a preferred supplier relationship with an Indigenous owned business.

In 2016, KPMG formed a joint venture with Arrilla Indigenous Consulting, a cultural competency company established to better equip corporate Australia to partner with Indigenous businesses.

A Gomeroi man from Narrabri in northern NSW, Glen joins KPMG this month as a Partner after almost 15 years with ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Australia Bank. His most recent role with the bank was Managing Partner of its High Growth and Emerging Corporate business, focused on helping businesses with complex needs to succeed and grow. Other roles included Head of Indigenous Business Development, where he led the bank’s commercial and non-commercial Indigenous banking activities. Prior to NAB, he held various executive roles across 10 years spent with the Australian Government. He is also the Chairman of Aboriginal Employment Strategy, a 100 percent Indigenous managed national not-for-profit recruitment company.