In July 2024, engineer turned consultant Mohamed Kande will make history as both the next PwC global chair and the first-ever African American to helm one of the prestigious Big Four accounting and professional services giants.
His barrier-breaking appointment upends conventions on multiple fronts.
An Unconventional Rise Spanning Continents
Kande’s remarkable journey stretches across three continents, shaped by varied cultural influences. Growing up as the son of a half-Lebanese mother in a mixed-faith family in Ivory Coast, he later battled discrimination after moving to 1980’s France.
Subsequently finding opportunities in America took further adjustment. But all of the global exposure endowed the resilience he leverages to lead inclusively today.
Despite language and cultural barriers, Kande earned impressive engineering credentials before pivoting into business. His wide lens makes him uniquely qualified to balance competing interests.
Milestone Selection Breaking Industry Barriers
With Kande at the helm by next year, PwC will likely shatter the Big Four glass ceiling for both people of color and consultants holding the pinnacle position.
As professional services leadership remains largely homogenous, his pioneering role models possibility for marginalized groups. Internally too, Kande personifies PwC’s outward-facing evolution through elevating homegrown talent.
Mohamed Kande shows no complacency in preparations to guide PwC’s complex global orchestra towards an integrated digital future. PwC’s barrier-breaking conductor appears ready to compose a new era.
