John McCalla-Leacy
| John McCalla-Leacy | |
|---|---|
 John McCalla-Leacy.jpg | |
| Born | 1972 London, England |
| 💼 Occupation | *Former Canoe slalom athlete
|
| 👔 Employer | KPMG (2001-2026) |
| Known for | Environmental, Social and Governance |
| Title | Chair, KPMG Foundation |
| Term | 2021-2026 |
| Board member of | KPMG |
John McCalla-Leacy (born 1972) is a British business executive, and former canoe slalom athlete. He is known as the first Black person elected to KPMG UK's main board in the firm's history, elected in 2020.[1] Born in London, McCalla-Leacy first gained recognition as a junior canoe slalom competitor who represented Great Britain internationally from the late 1980s. He won his first junior international slalom event in Sweden in 1987.[2] He joined KPMG in 2001, where he held a succession of senior roles across IT, advisory, and ESG practice leadership. In 2020 he was elected to the KPMG UK Board, and in 2022 was appointed KPMG International's Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance.[3] In 2022 and 2023, he appeared on Financial News's Top 50 Most Influential in UK Sustainable Finance, and in 2024, 2025 and 2026 named on the UK Powerlist among the 100 most influential African and African-Caribbean heritage individuals in the UK.[4][5]
Life
Early life
John McCalla-Leacy was born in 1972 in London, England, to Jamaican-British parents.[6]
Canoeing career
McCalla-Leacy took up canoe slalom in his early teens after a school teacher introduced him to kayaking. After showing early aptitude he was invited to try canoe slalom, quickly rising through the domestic ranks.[6] At fourteen he debuted in competitive slalom and won his first junior international event in Sweden in 1987. He qualified for the British junior national training squad the following year and was named in the Pre-Worlds team in 1989, receiving support from the Prince's Trust during this period.[6]
After retirement from competitive sport, McCalla-Leacy remained active in the sport as a coach and mentor, working with paddlers including Mallory Franklin, and Nigeria's Olympic representative Johny Akiyemi.[6] In 2021, McCalla-Leacy served as Chair of Paddle UK's Inclusion Advisory Group.[7]
Career
Earlier in his career, he lived and worked in Italy as a fashion and knitwear designer for United Colors of Benetton. Subsequently, he held the dual role of knitwear designer and regional commercial manager for the iconic global brand.[8]
In 2001 McCalla-Leacy joined KPMG and served as Head of IT Projects until 2006. From 2012 to 2015 he was seconded to Hong Kong as Head of KPMG's Asia-Pacific Integration and Separation Centre of Excellence.[9]
After returning to the UK firm McCalla-Leacy was elected to the KPMG UK Board, becoming the first Black person on the Board in the firm's history.[10] He also served on the firm's People Committee and joined the KPMG Foundation Board.[11] In December 2020, McCalla-Leacy spoke with Queen Elizabeth II during a virtual visit to mark KPMG's 150th anniversary, becoming the first Black board member to represent the firm to the monarch.[12][10]
In August 2021 McCalla-Leacy was appointed as the UK Head of ESG at KPMG where he spearheaded the award-winning 'One Blue Marble' concept.[13][14] He was also instrumental in KPMG UK's launch of the firm's Our Impact Plan on social mobility as well as a number of other initiatives including its first Black Heritage Pay Gap report.[15]
He served in the national capacity of UK Head of ESG at KPMG for a little over a year before being elevated to KPMG International's Global Head of ESG in October 2022.[9] In March 2026, McCalla-Leacy was succeeded by Gauthier Acket as he went into retirement.[16]
McCalla-Leacy has spoken at a number of high-profile international events including: COP conferences, The World Economic Forum (Davos), ChangeNow, One Young World and both London and NY Climate Week.[17]
Recognition
- 2022 and 2023: He was named among Top 50 leader in UK Sustainable Finance by Financial News.[1]
- 2022: He named Professional Services Senior Leader of the Year at Black British Business Awards.[18]
- 2024, 2025 & 2026: Named among the 100 most influential African and African-Caribbean heritage individuals in the UK.[19]
- 2026: Named among Top 10 ESG Trailblazers Under 40 Driving Corporate Change.[14]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McGachey, Kristen. "Sneak Peek: The most influential in Sustainable Finance 2023". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "John McCalla-Leacy". Powerful Media. 2024-12-03. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ "KPMG U.K.'S First Black Board Member Becomes Its Green Boss". 2021-08-24. Archived from the original on 2025-07-22. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ "Fifty Most Influential in Sustainable Finance 2023 | Financial News". www.fnlondon.com. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ Jones, Amy (2025-10-23). "UK's most influential Black people named in The Powerlist 2026". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "John McCalla-Leacy's story". paddle-europe.eu. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Black History Month: John McCalla-Leacy's story". Paddle UK. 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "John McCalla-Leacy". Expert Keynote and Motivational Speakers | Chartwell Speakers. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Segal, Mark (2022-10-03). "KPMG Appoints John McCalla-Leacy as Head of Global ESG". ESG Today. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "'You just disappeared': Queen takes technical glitch in her stride during KPMG video call". Sky News. Archived from the original on 2025-08-27. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "John McCalla-Leacy". Trellis. 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Queen hears about KPMG's diversity work – despite video call vanishing act". Kent Online. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ KPMGUKCareers (2022-09-01). ESG at KPMG - One Blue Marble. Retrieved 2026-07-18 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Top 10 ESG Trailblazers Under 40 Driving Corporate Change – Future Leaders Conclave". Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "'There's a sense black people are being paid less'". 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ Team, ESG News Editorial (2026-03-04). "KPMG Appoints Gauthier Acket As Head Of Global ESG". ESG News. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ Lim, Janice (2023-11-26). "Proper representation crucial for a just energy transition: KPMG". The Business Times. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ Team, Fair Play Talks Editorial (2022-10-03). "REVEALED: 2022's Black British Business Awards Winners". Fair Play Talks. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ Bailey, Lola (2023-12-06). "The 'Powerlist': Top 10 Influential Africans in the UK 2024". pan-African. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
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