KPMG marks 19th year on Fortune best places to work list

KPMG’s 19th straight appearance on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list looks like a brand win, but inside the firm it lands as a harder test: whether a “high-performance, connected workplace” still feels that way when promotion cycles tighten, busy season stretches on and AI starts rewiring how the work gets done.

On May 14, Sal Melilli, the managing partner of KPMG’s New York City office, used a Q&A to keep the recognition in view and talk about the firm’s work environment and where he wants it to go next. The timing mattered. KPMG had already said on April 1 that it had made Fortune’s list for the 19th consecutive year, framing the honor around its AI-powered platforms and solutions as well as its culture. For employees, that message is only useful if it connects to the things that shape retention: how managers lead, how hybrid work functions and whether the path from senior associate to manager, and eventually to partner track, still feels worth the grind.

Fortune’s 2026 ranking puts the AI era front and center, saying standout companies are rebuilding the social contract at work so people feel supported, trusted and future-ready. That language fits the pitch KPMG is making to recruits and current staff alike. Fortune’s company profile for KPMG adds another layer, quoting employees who say the firm balances high expectations with genuine care for people. That is exactly the balance Big Four professionals watch most closely. If the work is intense, the culture has to do more than look polished in a ranking. It has to hold up in real life, from deadline pressure in audit to staffing swings in advisory.

The contrast is sharper because KPMG has also been trimming staff. Bloomberg reported on Oct. 15, 2025, that the firm cut 195 people from its U.S. audit business, a little more than 2% of that workforce. KPMG said it offered severance, extended health benefits and career transition services. For people still at the firm, that kind of cut makes any claim about connection and trust harder to assess.

AI is the other pressure point. In a May 2026 release, KPMG said 93% of U.S. companies will be deploying or scaling AI in finance functions within 18 months, and that half are already planning multi-agent AI systems across workflows. For KPMG’s auditors and consultants, that means the Fortune recognition is not just about prestige. It is a live question about whether the firm can keep its people engaged, promoted and confident while the business pushes deeper into AI.