KPMG customer and marketing practices reshuffled, Bekker becomes lead partner
- 30 June, 2021 07:02
KPMG has instituted a reshuffle of its Customer, Brand and Marketing Advisory that sees former lead partner, Amanda Hicks, take up a new client management role across the wider organisation and Carmen Bekker promoted in her stead.
As announced this week, Hicks has been moved to the new role of national managing partner for client experience and brand at the consulting group, tasked with ensuring the KPMG business meets client experience expectations, particularly with regards to digital. She also retains oversight of KPMG’s own brand and marketing strategy and her place on the national executive committee.
Hicks was one of the six founding partners of the CBMA team, which was established in 2017 and provides a raft of customer-oriented services for transformation, customer intelligence, plus technology and marketing transformation. Hicks joined off the back of KPMG’s acquisition of Acuity Research and Insights.
Bekker has now been promoted to lead partner for Customer, Brand and Marketing Advisory (CBMA) after nearly four years with the business division.
As part of the reshuffle, KPMG has also promoted fellow CBMA team member, Ben Kilpatrick, from director to partner. In addition, payments and product advisory partner, Brett Watson, joins the CBMA team from the KPMG banking team.
Earlier this year, the consulting group promoted its social media and consumer insights specialist, Louise Pogmore, to partner.
Hicks said the CBMA team had built a strong business over the last four years and said Bekker was a good choice to lead the next phase of growth.
“With her deep industry experience, Carmen brings a unique global perspective, and with her newly expanded leadership team there is no limit to what the CBMA business can achieve,” she commented.
Bekker has more than 20 years’ experience leading brands locally as well as in London and Europe. Before joining KPMG, she was management partner and European marketing director for WPP’s J Walter Thompson London. Her resume also includes stints with Saatchi & Saatchi in London and Sydney.
“In the future, customer and citizen experience will be the key differentiator for organisations and governments,” Bekker said. “However, the future experience for brands and their customers will be very different, underpinned by constantly evolving technology. The Customer Brand and Marketing Advisory team, working alongside colleagues across the breadth and depth of KPMG, is well placed to lead our clients through this time of disruption.”
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