KPMG was formed in 1987 with the merger of Peat Marwick International (PMI) and Klynveld Main Goerdeler (KMG), and their respective member firms.

Spanning three centuries, the organization's history can be traced through the names of its principal founding members, whose initials form the name KPMG.

K stands for Klynveld
Piet Klynveld founded the accounting firm Klynveld Kraayenhof & Co. in Amsterdam, in 1917.

P is for Peat
William Barclay Peat founded the accounting firm William Barclay Peat & Co. in London, in 1870.

M stands for Marwick
James Marwick founded the accounting firm Marwick, Mitchell & Co. with Roger Mitchell, in New York City, in 1897.

G is for Goerdeler
Dr. Reinhard Goerdeler was the first President of the International Federation of Accountants, and was for several years the Chairman of KMG. He is credited with laying many of the foundations for the Klynveld Main Goerdeler merger.