KPMG's Inaugural 'Flashpoint' Challenge Targeted Blockchain Tech Firms Ripe For Collaboration

NEW YORK, June 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As innovative technologies disrupt and drive change across all industries, KPMG LLP is keeping pace with the evolving technological landscape by using a competitive, pitch-style approach to help identify leading companies interested in collaborating with the firm to solve the next significant tech challenge and bring cutting-edge solutions to the marketplace.

The approach is already yielding results for the Big Four audit, tax and advisory firm.

At the first Flashpoint challenge, held on May 31 at KPMG's Ignition Center in Denver, four emerging players in the blockchain arena pitched their technology and competitive advantage for teaming with the firm.

"The Flashpoint experience was engaging and exciting for everyone on both sides of the table," said Will Williams, National Managing Partner-Tax at KPMG and one of five members of the KPMG committee who evaluated the blockchain companies' pitches. "The real-time exchange of ideas and concepts and the chance to brainstorm with leaders in the emerging blockchain space left me confident that Flashpoint's collaboration model will lead to solutions that will better serve our clients."

David Jarczyk, a KPMG principal and Flashpoint committee member who recently joined the firm after a successful career as an entrepreneur in data & analytics, said: "We're now pursuing follow-up conversations and ideating with all of the companies involved to explore how we might work together to deliver solutions to our clients. And we're already in the planning phases of the second Flashpoint challenge."

Additional members of the KPMG Flashpoint committee included Partners and Chief Innovation Officers for Tax Brad Brown and Steve Rainey, as well as Amit Ringshia, a Tax managing director at KPMG Ignition in New York City.

KPMG's next Flashpoint challenge is slated for Fall 2018 and will focus on opportunities for solutions utilizing emerging technologies.

For more information on KPMG's Flashpoint, click here. KPMG's recent insights on blockchain are available in this report.

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About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the independent U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's independent member firms have 197,000 people in 154 countries.

    Contact:                     Taylor Ovalle/Robert Nihen

                                 KPMG LLP

                                 201-307-8279/201-307-8296

                                 tovalle@kpmg.com; rnihen@kpmg.com

                                 On Twitter: @tayovalle/@rgnihen

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SOURCE KPMG LLP