IBM’s consulting chief warns AI will ‘implode’ unprepared rivals June 10, 2026 IBM Consulting, under Mohamad Ali, claims to have surged ahead in AI by pioneering a human-plus-digital workforce and transforming its own operations before selling innovative solutions to clients, leaving less-prepared consulting rivals scrambling to keep up, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. IBM’s consulting chief, Mohamad Ali, warns that AI will “implode” unprepared rivals, claiming the group has [...]
Kroll chief Jacob Silverman: AI won’t kill ‘mission critical’ advisory work June 9, 2026 Jacob Silverman arrives at Kroll’s vast City office for our interview fresh off a delayed flight from Atlanta, but you’d never know unless the bright-eyed New Yorker hadn’t mentioned it. Between sips of diet coke, the firm’s global chief executive offers City AM an upbeat assessment of AI’s influence on the consultancy sector that seems [...]
Professional services firms’ future hinges on private equity, Kroll chief says June 4, 2026 Private equity has been rewiring the professional services industry over the last few years, and with the sector undergoing enormous disruption from AI, stagnant growth, and a highly competitive market, PE investment is increasingly becoming a lifeline for firms to stay afloat. According to Jacob Silverman, chief executive of advisory and consultancy firm Kroll, private [...]
Staff burnout soars in professional services due to inefficiencies and outdated IT June 3, 2026 More than a quarter of client-facing staff at professional services firms are wasting a large portion of their working week on manual administrative tasks rather than core client work, according to new research by Unit4. The report, commissioned by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC), on global mid-to-large professional services firms, including those in the UK, revealed [...]
‘Clients pay for expertise, not process’ – Grant Thornton rolls out Anthropic AI June 2, 2026 Professional services giant Grant Thornton is rolling out Anthropic across its entire UK workforce as the firm seeks to embed AI in its services at a time when the technology is upending the industry. The accountancy firm’s UK arm said it will roll out Anthropic’s generative AI service, Claude, to all partners across its audit, [...]
‘Outdated’ consultancy sector faces a reckoning as AI rips up the old model May 27, 2026 For years, the consultancy sector has relied on a traditional model and profitable formula: retained clients, billing time and upselling clients. Another crucial element has been the blend of ‘senior counsel’ supported by a team of juniors carrying out research and compiling reports. But the rug is being pulled from under this model and a [...]
Deloitte set to boost UK staff bonuses and promotions May 19, 2026 Big Four giant Deloitte’s UK staff are set to be given higher bonuses and larger salary increases over the course of the year as the firm is set to surpass its profit targets. The firm’s UK chief executive, Richard Houston, said today that bonus funds would be upped by 14 per cent, while salaries would [...]
UK businesses stall investments and cut headcount due to Iran war May 18, 2026 Over half of UK firms said they have halted investment and hiring plans due to the economic fallout of the Iran war, contributing to supply chain pressures and higher energy and fuel costs. According to new research from accountancy and advisory firm BDO, 57 per cent of 500 businesses with revenues between £10m and £500mn, [...]
Forvis Mazars UK CEO: We have what others are trying to buy May 6, 2026 Forvis Mazars UK boss tells Maria Ward-Brennan that the firm’s integrated, global structure is what competitors are now trying to acquire through mergers and investments Forvis Mazars has built an integrated firm from the ground up, something others are now trying to purchase, says its UK chief executive, who added that building integration from scratch [...]
Golden partnership perks? Not anymore, say the Big Four April 27, 2026 As the Big Four giants grapple with profitability challenges, the traditional partnership model is undergoing significant change to prevent the profit pool from being diluted. The traditional dream at professional services firms – joining, working hard and climbing the ladder to partnership within an LLP structure – now looks very different at the Big Four [...]