He will succeed Michael Andrew, who has held the job since May 2011 and is retiring after being diagnosed with a serious medical condition to focus on his recovery, KPMG said in a statement on Thursday.

The change will take effect when Veihmeyer's appointment is ratified, which is expected at the March meeting of senior partners, a spokesman said.

Veihmeyer has been chairman and CEO of KPMG's U.S. firm since 2010. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he is a member of the Business Roundtable, the U.S.-India Business Council and the Business-Higher Education Forum.

(Reporting by Dena Aubin; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Richard Chang)