KPMG Aberdeen moves offices to Marischal Square

KPMG has grown its Scottish presence with the launch of a new hub in Aberdeen. The office at Marischal Square will host KPMG’s 140-strong North East team from the start of next year.

Aberdeen has proven to be an attractive proposition for the consulting industry in the last three years. PwC moved its Aberdeen team from Albyn Place to The Capitol in late 2016, while professional services firm Deloitte has a long-term lease for Union Plaza on Union Wynd in the same city. In December 2018, Grant Thornton announced it was broadening its team and moving to a larger office in Aberdeen, while earlier this year, EY released plans to relocate to new offices at Marischal Square in 2020.

Now, the final Big Four global accounting and advisory giant has stated new plans for the region. KPMG has chosen Marischal Square as its new home for its Aberdeen office, in a move which will see its 140 staff based in the North East of Scotland shift into the 1MSq block – shared with the NHS – after the turn of the year. According to a release from the firm, the business “has been part of the fabric of Aberdeen since the 19th century,” and the decision to relocate in the Granite City reflected its own ambitions, as well as confidence in the area’s future. KPMG counts many of Aberdeen's energy sector firms among its clients.

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Jenny Laing said, “KPMG’s arrival means another high-calibre firm and its staff will be located in the city centre, which was a main aim of the Marischal Square project. This area of the city centre has been revitalised and I am confident it will continue to go from strength-to-strength. More and more people are attracted to the thriving eastern end of Union Street, which in turn is contributing to the wider economy of the North East.”

The switch will also look to bring KPMG’s teams at the accountancy and professional services operation together for the first time in one open-plan, collaborative space. KPMG believes this will benefit clients by enabling more holistic services, while the space will also support shared working with a number of innovative breakout spaces.

Martin Findlay, KPMG’s senior partner in Aberdeen, said, “For the first time, our various teams in Aberdeen will be able to work together in one dedicated floor, allowing far greater collaboration and flexibility. Our big focus will be on technology and innovation, developing a space that empowers our people and our clients to work together in the heart of the Granite City.”