When the industrial revolution of the late eighteenth and nineteenth century helped transform accounting into a profession, KPMG’s founding fathers were center stage, pioneering the industry.

William Barclay Peat

William Barclay Peat (the P in KPMG) started his career in accountancy at just 17, working for Robert Fletcher & Co. He quickly rose through the ranks, and in 1891, Peat assumed leadership of the firm, and renamed it William Barclay Peat & Co.

James Marwick

In 1897, the US firm Marwick, Mitchell & Company got its start in New York City. The company was formed by James Marwick (the M in KPMG) and Roger Mitchell – both Scottish immigrants. It wasn’t easy establishing a firm in the city – many thought there was no place or need for accountants, but the two soon built a strong reputation.

Piet Klynveld

Meanwhile, in 1917 Piet Klynveld (the K in KPMG) opens small accounting firm in Amsterdam. Jaap Kraayenhof joins and firm becomes Klynveld Kraayenhof & Company (KKC). By the time Klynveld passed away in 1946, he left behind the largest accounting firm in the Netherlands.

Reinhard Goerdeler

The last of our founding fathers, Reinhard Goerdeler (the G in KPMG) comes into the story almost half a century later in 1953, when he joined Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft (DTG).

In 1965 KMG Thomson McLintock opened a branch in Portugal, located in Lisbon.

In 1981 Peat Marwick inaugurated the activity in Portugal, with the opening of an office in Lisbon.

The merger between KMG Thomson McLintock and Peat Marwick became effective in Portugal on the 1st of July, 1987.

On the 1st of January, 1989 the name changed to KPMG Peat Marwick and in the meantime evolved to KPMG.

Currently KPMG in Portugal has its headquarters in Lisbon, in Edifício FPM41, in Saldanha.

The creation of the company in Oporto dates back to 1983. Currently KPMG’s office in Oporto is located in Edifício Burgo, in Avenida da Boavista.

KPMG in Portugal has approximately 1,300 employees distributed across offices in Lisbon and Oporto.