Honours - KPMG's Sharman gets Lords seat
KPMG International chairman Colin Sharman has become the first practising accountant since the Second World War to be appointed to the House of Lords.
He was made a life peer by the Liberal Democrat party last week after a long career in which he demonstrated a passion for European affairs.
He received an OBE in 1979 for services to the British community in the Netherlands, and is treasurer of pro-euro group Britain in Europe.
Mike Rake, KPMG’s UK senior partner, said: ‘It is a great honour for KPMG to have its international chairman appointed to the House of Lords.
Colin has always been a visionary leader who knows where he wants to go and possesses the persuasive skills to carry people with him. It is clear his tremendous grasp of business at a UK and international level will be of great benefit to the Liberal Democrat benches and to the House of Lords in general.’
Sharman has been chairman of KPMG since 1997, and retired as senior partner of KPMG UK in September 1998 after five years as head of the firm’s UK practice.
He led the 1987 merger that formed KPMG out of Peat Marwick Mitchell and Thomson McLintock. Sharman joins Lord Benson, a former Coopers & Lybrand partner.