Elena Richards

Elena Richards is a Principal and Chief Culture and Inclusion Officer at KPMG LLP. She is an accomplished HR and talent management professional with deep knowledge of the professional services industry

Elena leads the firm’s national Culture and Inclusion team and works closely with the KPMG U.S. Management Committee and Board of Directors to advance the firm’s strategy to attract and retain high-performing talent and foster an inclusive work environment. Elena further collaborates with the KPMG functional leaders on the business integration of the firm’s strategic talent priorities.

Elena leads firmwide initiatives that drive culture and inclusion across the firm, as well as its the Business Resource Group (BRG) Leadership Council which oversees 200+ national and local BRG chapters and inclusion councils. She serves on the Talent and Culture Leadership Team, driving the collaboration with people-centric processes to further embed inclusion practices in workforce shaping, workforce enablement, workforce innovation, organizational engagement and culture. She has hosted a series of peer exchanges, bringing together people leaders across various organizations to discuss talent strategies impacting businesses across all industries.

With over 20 years of experience, Elena’s north star is to create psychologically safe workplaces and consistent experiences for everyone at KPMG. She has championed KPMG being a signatory on pledges with organizations that support an inclusive workforce. In 2021, she was the recipient of the NJCPA Ovation award, recognized for her passion and contributions towards promoting inclusion across the finance and accounting profession.

Elena earned her BA in criminal justice at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and is a certified executive coach.

She currently serves as a board member for the KPMG U.S. Foundation, Inc. and the Community Foundation of New Jersey. She is on the board of advisors for Catalyst, a member of the Boston College Center for Work & Family advisory board and a member of Seramount’s Diversity Best Practices collective. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ National Diversity & Inclusion Commission and was previously an advisory board member for Howard University’s Center for Accounting Education.