MHA chief: Private equity rivals are struggling — ‘we’re really well positioned’ Advisory Wednesday marks one year since the UK and Ireland’s arm of Baker Tilly International, MHA, rang the bell at the London Stock Exchange. The advisory group didn’t pick an ideal time to list. Though it seems like a lifetime ago, the markets were also riddled with uncertainty. Weeks before MHA went public, Trump had his [...]
As the Big Four cut back on staff BDO is building its own pipeline – from school Accountancy As the accountancy sector faces a “perception problem” among younger talent, advisory giant BDO is moving the goalposts by engaging school-level students. Speaking to City AM, Louise Sayers, audit partner and head of audit, people and culture at BDO, explained that when it comes to attracting new talent, the sector does not have an image problem [...]
As KPMG looks to cut hundreds of staff, expect more layoffs at the Big Four Big Four The Big Four giants, after hitting pandemic-era highs, are currently navigating a perfect storm of challenges: a harsher market, a surge in AI investment and a stagnant economy. These pressures are forcing firms to take a pair of shears to their workforces as the industry’s traditional “attrition model” fails to keep pace with reality. Over [...]
Deloitte confirms tax head to replace Richard Houston March 30, 2026 Big Four giant Deloitte has selected Darren Graves to succeed Richard Houston, who is stepping up to lead the newly created Deloitte EMEA unit. Graves will be the next senior partner and chief executive from June, after winning a confirmatory vote by the firm’s partners. However, according to media reports, he was put forward as [...]
KPMG to dismiss more than 400 auditing staff March 28, 2026 KPMG UK is set to fire more than 500 staff in a redundancies round hitting the auditing industry, reports have suggested. The Big Four consultancy is set to fire staff across its advisory arm in the UK as well as the audit business, which will be more heavily affected. Consultancy bosses reportedly told staff on [...]
Regulator unveils major overhaul to its audit supervision March 25, 2026 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is introducing a major overhaul of its audit supervisory model, aiming to replace the current system with one designed to enhance audit quality. The accountancy watchdog is moving its primary focus to a system of quality management (SoQM), placing firm-wide quality controls at the heart of its new supervisory activity. [...]
AI will not replace auditors’ judgment, says regulator chief March 19, 2026 The rise of AI presents a critical moment for the accountancy profession to prove that its “value-add” goes beyond tasks that can be automated, according to the industry’s watchdog boss. Speaking to City AM, Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), said that with every technological shift, the accountancy sector loses low-level [...]
City AM Awards 2026: Meet the Finalists March 18, 2026 The City AM Awards are back and this year our finalists are stronger than ever. Our judges now have the task of voting for an overall winner in each category, to be announced at the Guildhall on May 6. And the nominees are…. Personality of the Year Greg Jackson CBE The entrepreneur and CEO of [...]
Brits fleeing Dubai could trigger ‘surprise’ UK tax bills March 16, 2026 British expats returning to the UK from the Middle East over safety concerns as a result of the war in Iran could face “hidden tax costs”. The British expat population in the UAE is among the largest outside the UK, with estimates of 130,000 to 240,000 British nationals living and working in Dubai and Abu [...]
War in Iran sparks professional services remote work boom in Gulf March 5, 2026 Professional service giants have triggered emergency business continuity plans, shifting hundreds of staff to remote work across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia amid deepening conflict in the Middle East. Since Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s surprise attack on Tehran in the early hours of Saturday morning, Iran has retaliated with strikes on major cities [...]