MAM
The Mavericks pledges to observe “Together-Apart Week” every year starting March 2021
Reputation Advisory, The Mavericks India, has announced that it will commit to a “Together-Apart Week” every year, starting 2021. Coronavirus was declared a pandemic on the 11th of March by the World Health Organization (WHO). The week-long lockdown (Together-Apart Week) will be observed in the second week of March to commemorate the declaration and pay gratitude to the healthcare workers for their selfless service in these trying times. The world has been under siege since the outbreak with most of the countries worldwide under partial lockdown forced into compulsory quarantine and social distancing, thereby resulting in the downfall of several industries globally.
With more than 170K fatalities across 2.48 million cases as of 21st April and a mortality rate of 6.9%, COVID-19 is the worst pandemic of the modern era. According to the United Nations (UN), the global economy is expected to shrink by 1% instead of growing at 2.5% with millions of people losing their livelihood and an impending global recession. This crisis should not be forgotten easily and definitely not without us all both individually and collectively making a commitment to lead a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
The Mavericks will encourage each of its team members to lead a more balanced, healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This lockdown has taught us many lessons, besides the fact that how we have abused the environment and encroached into the lives of many animals pushing them to the verge of extinction; ironically enough we call animals with equal rights to this plant as wildlife. With PM2.5 and NO2 levels falling by 50% and 75% respectively in India, it doesn’t host any of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world since the lockdown, it hosted 14 of top 20 just 4 months ago, as of Jan of 2020.
During the week-long lockdown, all Mavericks will work exactly the way we've been during this lockdown – from the 25th of March to the 3rd of May; complete self-quarantine within the confines of our homes. In addition, post the current lockdown 10% of our team members will be working from home at all times. This will be done by rotation and our endeavour will push this rate to 25% by 2023.
Apart from these proactive steps, Mavericks would not ignore reactive steps like planting at least 100 trees for each of its team members and give back what we’ve usurped from other inhabitants of this planet.
Chetan Mahajan, Founder & CEO of The Mavericks said, “COVID-19 has served us the much-needed wake-up call and we’ve decided to respond to this call with action that is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, “be the change you want to see in the world". It’s a small step but I’m confident that when we all come together to live more responsibly we can create a revolution that will make this world a better place. I urge more individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses to come together and own their responsibilities to the planet and its habitat. We also urge the WHO to announce the second week of March to be “International Together-Apart Week” in commemoration of the world’s battle against COVID-19.”
By staying indoors as part of the lockdown, we all have coincidentally developed habits that are good for the climate and ourselves, which includes minimal travel, mindfulness, lesser wastage and overall a conscious lifestyle. If this change in habit sticks and is encouraged by organizations through permanent efforts, it can help keep the toxic emissions lower even after this lockdown is lifted. Our initiative is aimed at developing a mindful consumption behaviour amongst team members. Moreover, staying indoors for a week every year will help us critically examine the impact of our daily activities on the environment without affecting the daily routine chores as we currently do.”
“While we all revise our business playbooks to navigate these unsettling times through robust technical infrastructure, digital tools, and alternate business plans, we must carry forward the valuable lesson of combined community action to deal with climate change. COVID-19 is not the first pandemic and will certainly not be the last one. Reliving the memories of the lockdown of 2020 will hopefully not let us forget the pain and loss of life we suffered and push us and the generations to come to not go back to the ignorant and selfish selves.” Chetan added.
Today, we have all the time to find the fine work-life balance in life, more time to spend with our families and more time to pursue our lost passion albeit in the confines of the four walls. We don’t intend to bury these learnings as we get back to our so-called normal lives.
While India and the world fight the COVID-19 pandemic, The Mavericks urges other organizations to take the pledge and join hands together to address another looming health emergency, as we all observe ‘Earth Day’ this year.
Brands
KPMG names Gary Wingrove as global chairman and CEO from October
Record Gmada bids signal rising demand as Rs 1,000 crore bet reshapes Tricity skyline
MUMBAI: KPMG has chosen continuity with a forward tilt. The firm has announced that Gary Wingrove will take over as global chairman and CEO of KPMG International, beginning a four year term from 1 October 2026. Currently serving as global chief operating officer, Wingrove steps into the top role after being nominated by the global board and elected by the global council.
A KPMG veteran with over 25 years at the firm, Wingrove has been closely involved in shaping its recent trajectory. As global COO, he has helped drive the firm’s Collective Strategy, focusing on operational integration, global investments and the steady expansion of the KPMG Delivery Network. He has also been at the forefront of KPMG’s digital push, including the rollout of AI enabled solutions across its global operations.
Before his global role, Wingrove served as CEO of KPMG Australia for nearly a decade, where he led a period of strong growth, almost doubling revenue, profitability and headcount while steering a cultural reset.
He succeeds Bill Thomas, who has led KPMG since 2017 and will work alongside Wingrove over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition.
Thomas leaves behind a firm that looks markedly different from when he took charge. Under his leadership, KPMG’s global revenues have risen by 55 per cent, and its workforce has expanded to more than 276,000 people. He also unified the network of member firms under the Collective Strategy, aligning priorities and strengthening governance.
His tenure saw heavy investment in technology and partnerships, with alliances spanning Microsoft, Google Cloud, SAP, Oracle and ServiceNow. These collaborations, along with platforms like KPMG Clara, have helped the firm scale its AI-led offerings and sharpen its competitive edge.
Beyond growth, Thomas also pushed improvements in audit quality and sustainability. Initiatives such as a multiyear global sustainability strategy and the Our Impact Plan have aimed to embed long term thinking into the firm’s operations and client services.
For Wingrove, the brief is clear but evolving. He has signalled a focus on agility, deep expertise and technology driven solutions as clients navigate an increasingly complex business landscape. He also emphasised KPMG’s identity as a people first organisation, supported by technology and unified through its global network.
The timing of the leadership change comes as KPMG continues to grow, reporting a 5.1 per cent rise in global revenue in FY25, with gains across tax and legal, audit and advisory services. Growth was recorded across all regions, despite a challenging macro environment.
As Wingrove prepares to take charge, the firm appears set on a familiar path with a sharper digital edge. Same playbook, perhaps, but with a renewed focus on speed, scale and smarter solutions.
