Challenge
Align language with culture … globally
KPMG Global employs more than 273,000 people across 143 countries. Its reach is vast, its operations complex, and its mandate — “Inspire confidence, empower change” — ambitious.
But in a company of that scale, values can feel abstract. The challenge wasn’t that employees didn’t believe in the work. It was that they didn’t always have the language to describe the meaning behind it.
Leadership recognized that. And they knew that storytelling — not corporate messaging — was the way through.
KPMG approached Echo to design and deliver a master storytelling training program that could help their people:
- Align with company values authentically
- Communicate with vulnerability, purpose, and clarity
- And reflect more intentionally on the community and consequence of their work
It wasn’t about polishing presentations. It was about unlocking stories that were already there.
Solution
A storytelling experience at global scale
Echo’s engagement with KPMG followed our full training model, tailored for a client of enormous scale and cultural diversity.
We began with discovery sessions to understand how and where story would have the most impact inside the firm. From there, we:
- Designed a custom online masterclass experience
- Developed modular, scalable curriculum and facilitation guides
- Delivered online training to selected KPMG leaders
- Created a digital storytelling toolkit for global rollout
- Built examples and exercises grounded in KPMG’s real-world contexts
What made this training stand out wasn’t just the size. It was the openness of the people in the room.
KPMG participants were remarkably candid. They shared personal insights, reflected on difficult moments, and showed real vulnerability. These qualities might not always be associated with corporate culture, yet they’re essential to making stories matter.
Our sessions taught them how to:
- Spot everyday moments worth sharing
- Use storytelling structure to build trust and insight
- Connect their personal values to company values
- Speak not just about what they do, but why it matters
As Alice Morrow, KPMG’s Global Story Lead, shared:
“Echo was exactly what we were hoping for. You delivered a highly engaging, bespoke experience for our people, and you cared about the process every step of the way.”
rESULT
Stories that build trust and belonging
Following the training, the impact was clear.
Participants shared stories of loss, growth, mentorship, family, and resilience. Many said they’d never felt more seen at work.
Specifically, it helped teams improve how they:
- Opened presentations
- Shared lessons in leadership
- Built relationships with clients
- Onboarded new hires
- And reflected on complex or sensitive issues
The Echo training gave KPMG a shared storytelling language: flexible, human, and grounded in lived experience.
You took the time to make the learning deeply relevant to our employees’ day-to-day functions. After the session, a few participants revealed that they’d been skeptical, but that it was one of the best training sessions we’d ever put on.
Alice Morrow
Corporate Affairs, KPMG Global
One more cool thing ...
These stories went public
Many of the stories workshopped during training were so strong, they didn’t stay inside the room.
KPMG published them.
Three standout examples — all related to the COVID-19 pandemic — now live on KPMG’s ESG storytelling platform:
- Louisa was tasked with supporting the building of a regional emergency hospital. The challenge? They had 10 days …
- A teary talk with his son prompted Baréma to assemble an international COVID response team
- Remembering KPMG’s challenge to “Stay curious,” Rania and colleagues initiated a novel response to supporting first responders
Each one came from a place of vulnerability. Each was shaped in Echo sessions. And each one reminded colleagues around the world of what leadership really looks like.
Want to make storytelling part of your leadership culture?
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