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Busting Myths About Accountancy with Karl Edge, Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK
In this episode of Careers Unwrapped, host Mark Fawcett interviews Karl Edge, Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, who shares his 34-year journey from a working-class background to a leadership position at one of the world's leading professional services firms.
What You’ll Learn:
Karl Edge is the Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, bringing over three decades of experience in chartered accountancy and business leadership. With a distinguished career that began as a chartered accountant, Karl has evolved into a strategic people leader responsible for 18,000 employees across KPMG's UK operations. Known for his passion in neuroscience and personal development, he has been instrumental in developing leadership programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning at KPMG. In this episode, Karl shares valuable insights about the evolving nature of accountancy careers, challenging common misconceptions about the profession, and offering practical advice for young professionals entering the field. His journey from a working-class background to a senior leadership position, combined with his focus on mentoring and talent development, provides particularly relevant guidance for career starters looking to build successful careers in professional services.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.
Connect with Karl Edge
Connect with Mark Fawcett
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
Previous guests include: Phil Harding, archaeologist from Time Team; Deborah Meaden, investor on Dragons' Den; Andrew Barnabas, musical composer; Fiona Campbell of BBC Iplayer & BBC Three; Emma Keller of Nestlé; Nick Telson-Sillett, entrepreneur, an angel investor, a podcaster, a startup mentor, and a public speaker; Tessa Clarke, Co-founder & CEO of Olio; Peter Hopwood, Global Tedx Storytelling and Speaker Coach;
If you are interested in joining Careers Unwrapped as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/waf-guest
What You’ll Learn:
- Why accountancy is far from boring: how it provides a foundation for working globally across any sector
- How to succeed in professional services without an accounting degree or background
- The modern accountant's evolving role in the age of AI and technology
- Why authenticity matters: how to balance being yourself while adapting to corporate culture
- How to develop leadership skills through curiosity and stepping outside your comfort zone
- The power of mentorship and networking in building a successful career path
- Why continuous learning and broad experiences matter more than chasing specific roles
- How to transition from technical expertise to people leadership
- The importance of building trust and relationships with clients beyond their professional titles
- Why embracing discomfort and feedback leads to professional growth and development
Karl Edge is the Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, bringing over three decades of experience in chartered accountancy and business leadership. With a distinguished career that began as a chartered accountant, Karl has evolved into a strategic people leader responsible for 18,000 employees across KPMG's UK operations. Known for his passion in neuroscience and personal development, he has been instrumental in developing leadership programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning at KPMG. In this episode, Karl shares valuable insights about the evolving nature of accountancy careers, challenging common misconceptions about the profession, and offering practical advice for young professionals entering the field. His journey from a working-class background to a senior leadership position, combined with his focus on mentoring and talent development, provides particularly relevant guidance for career starters looking to build successful careers in professional services.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.
Connect with Karl Edge
Connect with Mark Fawcett
- We Are Futures
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
- From Dreams to Reality: Camila Holden-Ayala’s Journey to Senior Account Manager at Broadcast Revolution
- How to Kickstart your Career by Asking Questions with Bhushan Sethi, Partner at Strategy&
- Make Mistakes… Then Learn From Them! With Rahul Moodgal, Director of Parvus Asset Management
Previous guests include: Phil Harding, archaeologist from Time Team; Deborah Meaden, investor on Dragons' Den; Andrew Barnabas, musical composer; Fiona Campbell of BBC Iplayer & BBC Three; Emma Keller of Nestlé; Nick Telson-Sillett, entrepreneur, an angel investor, a podcaster, a startup mentor, and a public speaker; Tessa Clarke, Co-founder & CEO of Olio; Peter Hopwood, Global Tedx Storytelling and Speaker Coach;
If you are interested in joining Careers Unwrapped as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/waf-guest
View all episodes
In this episode of Careers Unwrapped, host Mark Fawcett interviews Karl Edge, Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, who shares his 34-year journey from a working-class background to a leadership position at one of the world's leading professional services firms.
What You’ll Learn:
Karl Edge is the Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, bringing over three decades of experience in chartered accountancy and business leadership. With a distinguished career that began as a chartered accountant, Karl has evolved into a strategic people leader responsible for 18,000 employees across KPMG's UK operations. Known for his passion in neuroscience and personal development, he has been instrumental in developing leadership programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning at KPMG. In this episode, Karl shares valuable insights about the evolving nature of accountancy careers, challenging common misconceptions about the profession, and offering practical advice for young professionals entering the field. His journey from a working-class background to a senior leadership position, combined with his focus on mentoring and talent development, provides particularly relevant guidance for career starters looking to build successful careers in professional services.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.
Connect with Karl Edge
Connect with Mark Fawcett
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
Previous guests include: Phil Harding, archaeologist from Time Team; Deborah Meaden, investor on Dragons' Den; Andrew Barnabas, musical composer; Fiona Campbell of BBC Iplayer & BBC Three; Emma Keller of Nestlé; Nick Telson-Sillett, entrepreneur, an angel investor, a podcaster, a startup mentor, and a public speaker; Tessa Clarke, Co-founder & CEO of Olio; Peter Hopwood, Global Tedx Storytelling and Speaker Coach;
If you are interested in joining Careers Unwrapped as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/waf-guest
What You’ll Learn:
- Why accountancy is far from boring: how it provides a foundation for working globally across any sector
- How to succeed in professional services without an accounting degree or background
- The modern accountant's evolving role in the age of AI and technology
- Why authenticity matters: how to balance being yourself while adapting to corporate culture
- How to develop leadership skills through curiosity and stepping outside your comfort zone
- The power of mentorship and networking in building a successful career path
- Why continuous learning and broad experiences matter more than chasing specific roles
- How to transition from technical expertise to people leadership
- The importance of building trust and relationships with clients beyond their professional titles
- Why embracing discomfort and feedback leads to professional growth and development
Karl Edge is the Chief People Officer and Head of Regions at KPMG UK, bringing over three decades of experience in chartered accountancy and business leadership. With a distinguished career that began as a chartered accountant, Karl has evolved into a strategic people leader responsible for 18,000 employees across KPMG's UK operations. Known for his passion in neuroscience and personal development, he has been instrumental in developing leadership programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning at KPMG. In this episode, Karl shares valuable insights about the evolving nature of accountancy careers, challenging common misconceptions about the profession, and offering practical advice for young professionals entering the field. His journey from a working-class background to a senior leadership position, combined with his focus on mentoring and talent development, provides particularly relevant guidance for career starters looking to build successful careers in professional services.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.
Connect with Karl Edge
Connect with Mark Fawcett
- We Are Futures
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
- From Dreams to Reality: Camila Holden-Ayala’s Journey to Senior Account Manager at Broadcast Revolution
- How to Kickstart your Career by Asking Questions with Bhushan Sethi, Partner at Strategy&
- Make Mistakes… Then Learn From Them! With Rahul Moodgal, Director of Parvus Asset Management
Previous guests include: Phil Harding, archaeologist from Time Team; Deborah Meaden, investor on Dragons' Den; Andrew Barnabas, musical composer; Fiona Campbell of BBC Iplayer & BBC Three; Emma Keller of Nestlé; Nick Telson-Sillett, entrepreneur, an angel investor, a podcaster, a startup mentor, and a public speaker; Tessa Clarke, Co-founder & CEO of Olio; Peter Hopwood, Global Tedx Storytelling and Speaker Coach;
If you are interested in joining Careers Unwrapped as a guest, please complete this form: fame.so/waf-guest