As the Big Four cut back on staff BDO is building its own pipeline – from school April 7, 2026 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 March 31, 2026 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 [...]
EY’s legal provisions balloon 300 per cent as audit battles mount March 27, 2026 Big Four giant EY has reported a surge of over 300 per cent in its legal provisions, as the firm grapples with the fallout of high-profile audit failures and regulatory crackdowns. According to the firm’s latest results on Companies House, EY didn’t just add a small buffer; it added £188m in new claims-related charges in [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The £1bn company with no staff? Why AI is a gift to Britain’s small businesses February 26, 2026 With branding built on Canva, market research synthesised in seconds or client decks as slick as McKinsey’s, could we say now that for the first time, a five-person firm can present like a 50-person one, and potentially undercut and outmanoeuvre larger rivals? Asks Eliza Filby In Silicon Valley, investors are salivating at the thought of [...]
Big Four consulting giants pivot to ‘high-growth verticals’ amid AI disruption February 24, 2026 Following news of Deloitte’s latest expansion, experts predict a wave of restructuring and a “high-growth vertical” focus across the Big Four giants. On Monday, Deloitte revealed its plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. The new firm will [...]
Big Four giant Deloitte forms $20bn EMEA unit amid tech disruption February 23, 2026 Deloitte, one of the Big Four, plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. After a successful partner vote, Deloitte announced on Monday that the new EMEA firm will launch in June 2026. Deloitte EMEA will bring together 16 [...]
KPMG partner fined for using AI to cheat on internal training February 16, 2026 A partner at the Big Four firm KPMG has been fined $10,000 (£7,200) for using AI to cheat in an internal training course meant to test knowledge of the technology. KPMG Australia has forced an unnamed audit partner to redo a test after they uploaded training materials to an AI platform to help answer AI-related [...]