EY accused of missing ‘red flag’ in NMC collapse October 14, 2025 Big Four firm EY UK was accused of being “grossly negligent” and failing in its most fundamental audit duties over seven years, allowing a massive fraud to continue and ultimately causing NMC’s financial collapse. The mammoth £2.7bn legal battle between EY and its former clients, a London-listed health giant that collapsed after allegations of fraud, [...]
Surge in cyber attacks expected to generate windfall for consultants October 13, 2025 The recent surge in cyber attacks targeting major businesses and government entities is expected to drive an increase in spending on cybersecurity services from consulting firms. Cyber attacks have dominated the headlines this year, with recent incidents, such as the attacks on the Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover, resulting in substantial financial hits for the businesses. The [...]
Regulator fines KPMG for N Brown Group audit errors October 7, 2025 Big Four firm KPMG and a former partner have received heavy fines and formal reprimands from the accountancy regulator for serious failures in their audit of N Brown Group plc’s 2022 accounts. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) found that KPMG and Anthony Sykes failed to meet international auditing standards, with the firm admitting to serious [...]
Deloitte refunds Australian government after AI ‘made up citations’ in report October 6, 2025 Big Four firm Deloitte is set to issue a partial refund to the Australian federal government after a report it issued contained several errors caused by the use of AI. Deloitte was commissioned by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) to review a targeted compliance framework and its IT system in December 2024. [...]
EY: UK financial sector prioritises tech-savvy hires in AI era October 6, 2025 Over half of all of new non-executive directors appointed to British financial services companies over the past year have brought tech expertise, new research from big four accountancy giant EY has found. The figure, 52 per cent, shows a 16 per cent rise from the previous year, as AI continues to shift boardroom dynamics. While [...]
EY hires Treasury director to bolster financial services team September 30, 2025 Big Four giant EY has recruited HM Treasury’s director of financial services to add to its financial services risk practice. As exclusively shared with City AM, John Owen has joined EY as a UK consulting partner after over two decades in government. Owen started off in the Ministry of Justice in 2005, before moving to [...]
Deloitte: Profit up despite revenue slip amid ‘tougher market’ September 30, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of Big Four giant Deloitte rose during its latest financial year despite its revenue falling as it made “changes” to its structure. For the year to 31 May, 2025, Deloitte posted a revenue of £5.68bn, down from the £5.75bn it raked in during the prior 12 months. However, despite the [...]
PwC UK profits edge up as headcount reductions take effect September 17, 2025 Big Four giant PwC UK has shown steady financial recovery, with revenue, profits, and profit per partner all increasing slightly compared to the previous year, largely due to the implementation of headcount cuts. For the year ended 30 June 2025, PwC UK generated £6.35bn in revenue, up 0.4 per cent on the previous year. Its [...]
World’s largest ad agency bucks grad hiring slowdown – ‘We have to train the next gen’ September 11, 2025 The world’s largest advertising agency is hiring more graduate roles than ever in the face of artificial intelligence’s rise, gearing junior training to be more focused on client management, its UK media boss has said, bucking a global slowdown in junior white-collar employment. Niel Bornman, UK chief executive of Publicis Media, said the proliferation of [...]
Cross-party politicians urges Starmer to prioritise audit watchdog reform September 8, 2025 The Prime Minister has been urged by 66 MPs and Lords in a cross-party alliance to prioritise the long-overdue Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill that was promised last year. In the King’s Speech in July 2024, the newly elected Labour government unshelved the Bill that would reform the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) into a [...]