KPMG sets Canary Wharf move in motion
KPMG pushes the button on plans to shift its headquarters to Canary Wharf, paying £260m for the leasehold on its new 15-floor building
The building is set to be located at 15 Canada Square, next to HSBC, an audit
client of the firm, and Barclays, which has just appointed its former engagement
partner as its new CFO, from auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The firm will retain its current HQ at Salisbury Square. It is thought to be
considering its options in relation to its other buildings.
Lease issues could make it awkward to leave Puddle Dock, though it is
anticipated buildings on Farringdon Road and Dorset Rise may be vacated.
Around two-thirds of KPMG’s staff in
London, or 4,000 people, will move to Canary Wharf, the firm said.
The move is part of a wider trend among the Big Four as they seek to
consolidate the diverse offices they inherited under earlier mergers and manage
the huge growth in people over the past two years.
E&Y has moved to one major office by the Thames and Deloitte is planning
to centre activities around its current headquarters at Stonecutter Court near
St Paul’s.