Bill Thomas’ successor: KPMG top job up for grabs amidst sector transformation January 27, 2026 The Big Four giant KPMG’s election for the next global chair and CEO is currently underway, as big names across the firm vie to succeed Bill Thomas. Thomas has held the leadership position since October 2017, but his term is expected to conclude on 30 September. KPMG International is now launching a process to elect [...]
EY extends global HQ stay on Thames January 6, 2026 Big Four giant EY has renewed the lease on its global headquarters until 2040. The firm’s UK and global HQ is at 1 More London Place, whose lease was set to expire in 2028 before the firm greenlit a contract renewal. The ten-storey building on the south bank of the River Thames, with 35,000 sq [...]
Accountancy body reverts to in-person exams over AI cheating fears December 29, 2025 The UK’s accounting body, which has almost 260,000 members, is planning to halt remote exams amid a surge of students cheating with AI. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has said that from March it will no longer allow students to take online exams, except in exceptional circumstances. Remote testing, like in many universities [...]
Watchdog launches new probe into EY over ‘unauthorised’ audit reports December 10, 2025 The accountancy watchdog has commenced a new investigation into the Big Four firm EY and two of its members. In an announcement on Wednesday morning, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) revealed that it has commenced an investigation into “unauthorised issuance of auditor’s reports to audited entities”. This comes after the Big Four firm informed the [...]
EY: Traditional sports cricket and rugby union surging in popularity December 4, 2025 Rugby union and cricket have surged into the top 10 most popular sports across the UK in what is a tonic for traditional sports, new research has shown. Cricket climbed six places in the EY-Parthenon Sports Engagement Index to eighth, while rugby union jumped three spots to 10th. Football, Formula 1, Swimming and Tennis all [...]
PE, mergers, and AI: Professional services faces its most pivotal moment for 20 years November 18, 2025 The professional services industry is arguably going through its most critical time in the last 20 years. As it sits on its train to the future, where it jumps off will seal its fate, as each move firms take will be critical to what the industry may look like in the next 10 years. While [...]
New PE-backed consultancy launches with aim to fix ‘broken” system November 17, 2025 A new, AI-native consultancy firm has launched to address what its founders call the “broken” model of traditional consultancies, which they argue is costing businesses billions for ineffective AI projects. Backed by $15m (£11.4m) in private equity funding from NY-based Siguler Guff, UK-headquartered Valliance launches its “radical new model” of charging based on value delivered, [...]
PwC shrinks global headcount amid $1.5bn AI drive October 28, 2025 Big Four giant PwC has shrunk its global workforce for the first time since 2010, trimming staff numbers by nearly 6,000, as the chairman cited investments in AI tools. In its annual report, published on Tuesday, PwC firms reported record gross revenues of $56.9bn for the 12 months ending 30 June 2025, marking a 2.7 [...]
EY UK bounces back with growth in most divisions but consulting lags October 27, 2025 Big Four giant EY UK has seen a bounce back after its fee income grew by 2 per cent over the last financial year to £3.78bn, with the majority of its divisions seeing growth. The firm’s distributable profits before tax grew by over 3 per cent, from £653m in FY24 to £679m, while the giant also reported [...]
KPMG: Half of banks experiencing uptick in Gen Z staff quitting October 20, 2025 Gen Z banking employees are leaving the industry at faster rates than other professions, opting for start up jobs and remote work instead. That’s according to a new KPMG survey of bosses in the sector, which has found that almost half of financial services firms have experienced an uptick in younger employees quitting. The consultancy [...]