Embattled consulting firm KPMG has announced a new top boss as the company battles a whistleblower scandal.In an update, the consulting giant board announced John Sams as chief executive effective immediately.Mr Sams takes on the role from the tax, corporate finance and infrastructure advisory side of KPMG’s business, which was not impacted by the whistleblower scandal. In a statement, independent chairman Michael Ebeid said the board believed Ms Sams had the agility, courage and integrity required to lead the firm. “John has a clear mandate from the board: to strengthen leadership and culture, improve confidence with our people, clients, regulators, government and the parliament, and focus KPMG on the areas where it can make the greatest contribution to our clients, people and stakeholders,” the statement read.“John has the board’s full support to decisively deliver the action plan announced in June to address governance and integrity issues and build a stronger, more accountable firm.”Mr Sams said he did not underestimate the challenges ahead but said he would be willing to make the tough decisions to lead KPMG down the right path.“The firm fell short of the standards rightly expected of us, and the accountability for these failures will continue to be implemented,” he said.“We have serious work to do on our culture, our leadership and our governance and it will take resolve and endurance.”In late June, KPMG announced several senior officials would be leaving the business, as the fallout from the whistleblower scandal spread. KPMG partners are accused of sharing sensitive, unredacted corporate data internally to help the firm pitch for and win auditing contracts from rival companies.When a whistleblower raised the concerns, senior executives dismissed them and instead allegedly tried to force the employee out.The resignations of KPMG Australia chairman Martin Sheppard and chief executive Andrew Yates were among sweeping changes to “address identified failings, improve oversight and controls and begin the work of rebuilding confidence in the firm”.Two audit partners, Paul Rogers and Eileen Hoggett, also resigned.“We did not meet the standards expected of us, and we recognise the impact this has had on the whistleblower, our people, our clients and the community,” interim chief executive Stan Stavros said in a statement in June. “We are acting where it matters: changing leadership, strengthening independent governance, commissioning external reviews, improving whistleblower oversight, tightening controls and reinforcing accountability across the firm.“Trust will only be rebuilt through sustained action and demonstrable change.”Mr Stavros said he was “determined to confront what went wrong, act transparently and ensure these failings are not repeated”.