Big Four auditors EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC face SEC probe over conflicts-of-interest March 16, 2022 The US watchdog tasked with regulating financial markets has launched an investigation into potential conflicts of interest in the Big Four accountancy companies. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set up a probe into whether the Big Four’s businesses selling consulting and non-audit services undermine their ability to provide objective and independent audits, [...]
German law firm launches class action lawsuit against EY over Wirecard scandal March 16, 2022 A German law firm has opened a class action lawsuit against Big Four accountancy firm EY over the auditor’s role in the multi-billion-euro Wirecard scandal. German law firm TILP said it had filed a lawsuit in a Munich court on behalf of Wirecard shareholders, over claims that EY breached its duty to investors by “aiding [...]
Sanctions will force consultancies to drop Russian clients, consultancy trade body says March 2, 2022 The trade body for management consultancies has said the UK government’s sanctions on Russia and Belarus will “inevitably” mean some consultancies will be forced to cut links with some of their clients. In a statement, Tamzen Isacsson, Chief Executive of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), said: “Our firms are strictly abiding by the updated changes [...]
Irish accountancy watchdogs raises concerns over Deloitte and EY audits February 28, 2022 Ireland’s audit watchdog has said flagged issues with audits carried out by Big Four accountancy firms Deloitte and EY, after carrying out its annual review of auditors. The Irish Auditing & Accountancy Supervisory Authority (IAASA) said audits completed by Deloitte and EY required improvements, after sampling six sample audits carried out by the firms. By [...]
UK government to set out plans for audit watchdog overhaul imminently after years of delays February 14, 2022 UK government ministers will set out their plans to reform regulation of the UK’s auditing industry within the coming weeks, after calls for an overhaul first emerged in 2018 in response to the collapse of UK construction contractor Carillion. The proposals are currently being circulated and are set to be signed off imminently, according to [...]
EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC are the biggest employers of business grads, new figures show February 14, 2022 Business school grads are more likely to go into consulting, than any other industry, according to a survey of 300,000 business grads from OnlineU. More than a fifth (21.1 per cent) of business grads surveyed worked in consultancies, the figures show. Notably, the Big Four auditors alone employed more than 12 per cent of those [...]
Bain, McKinsey and BCG outgun Big Four with huge salaries and big bonuses January 28, 2022 The Big Three consulting firms – Bain, McKinsey, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) – are now offering considerably higher salaries than the Big Four accounting firms – EY, PwC, KPMG, and Deloitte – new figures from Management Consulted show. A tight global labour market in 2021 and stiff competition among white collar firms has caused [...]
EY to open office for “neuro-diverse” tech workers in Manchester January 24, 2022 Accountancy firm EY is set to open an office for “neuro-diverse” tech workers in Manchester. EY said it will hire 100 people with “cognitive differences” such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism, to work on projects involving emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and the blockchain. The Manchester Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence (NDCoE) is set [...]
JP Morgan looking to poach Big Four accountants after relaunching recruitment scheme January 14, 2022 JP Morgan has relaunched a scheme to poach newly qualified accountants from Big Four firms, in a sign that demand for junior bankers will remain high throughout 2022. The investment bank last week reoponed its recruitment scheme through which newly qualified accountants working in Big Four accountancy firm can become analysts within JP Morgan’s investment [...]
Insurer Hiscox names new group chief financial officer December 21, 2021 International insurer Hiscox Ltd has announced former EY partner and industry expert Paul Cooper as its new group chief financial officer. A qualified chartered accountant who trained with PwC, Cooper is currently the interim group chief financial officer of M&G Plc, a FTSE 100 asset manager and life insurer. Cooper will be rewarded with a [...]