KPMG wins SAP Rising Star award for North America growth

KPMG’s latest SAP recognition is more than a trophy for the partner shelf. The firm said SAP gave it the 2026 Rising Star award for North America growth, citing KPMG’s role in digital transformation work for clients using SAP solutions.

The timing matters for employees because the work behind the award is the kind of work that shapes staffing, training and promotion paths inside a Big 4 firm. KPMG said the alliance has now been elevated to a Global Strategic Service Partner relationship, a step that signals SAP-related work is not a side bet. It is part of how the firm expects to win and package enterprise transformation business.

KPMG also said the collaboration with SAP stretches back more than 20 years. In its telling, the current push is being driven by an AI-first approach, including the use of SAP Joule, which KPMG says is helping accelerate transformations and unlock immediate value for clients. For consultants, that points to more demand for people who can work across process redesign, data, controls and implementation, not just in one narrow lane.

The award was based on SAP partner performance, and SAP said its winners were chosen using internal data and input from a regional steering committee. That makes the recognition feel less like branding and more like a measurable signal about where KPMG is performing well in the market. In a firm where workload often shifts with practice demand, that kind of scorecard can matter as much as the headline itself.

The practical read for KPMG staff is straightforward. Enterprise applications, AI-enabled transformation and platform alliances remain central to the firm’s growth story, especially in work that pulls together tax, finance transformation, risk and advisory teams. If SAP stays a growth engine, those teams are likely to keep seeing more demand, while other corners of the business may not move as fast.