Yesterday
- Exclusive
- PwC tax scandal
Spending on consultants at 10-year low: Gallagher
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says spending with the big four consulting firms along with Accenture and Scyne is down $240 million so far in 2023-24.
- Ronald Mizen
This Month
EY cuts poor performing, misbehaving partners
More than 40 partners have left big four consulting firm EY in the second half of 2023, more than half because of poor performance, or behaviour issues.
- Edmund Tadros
Alvarez & Marsal hires a dozen senior staff in big four raid
The professional services firm wants to expand its Australian business to about 300 staff, and aims for future revenues of up to $500 million.
- Aaron Weinman
Rest of the big four decline to join PwC on political donations ban
EY and Deloitte will continue to donate despite PwC stopping all contributions after its tax leaks scandal, while KPMG is reviewing its stance.
- Edmund Tadros
Ex McKinsey, Bain operative to run Canberra’s in-house consulting push
The high-powered in-house Australian Government Consulting unit will be led by former Victorian data chief Andrew Nipe.
- Tom Burton
November
- Exclusive
- Accounting
Big four billing rates leaked by federal government
Highly confidential details about how much 400 consulting firms charge the federal government were accidentally leaked this month, sparking outrage and calls for a full investigation.
- Ronald Mizen and Edmund Tadros
ASIC hopes threat of criminal sanction enough to force good audits
The regulator this year slashed the number of audits it reviews in its annual quality inspection regime from 45 to 30, even amid wider scrutiny on the sector.
- Hannah Wootton
PwC turning away risky work after tax leaks scandal
The firm’s top lawyer says PwC has turned away work that is “not consistent to our new risk profile”.
- Edmund Tadros
KPMG UK freezes pay for 12,000 employees amid market downturn
KPMG has frozen the salaries for 12,000 workers across the UK as big four firms continue to grapple with the sharp slowdown in the deals market.
- Adam Mawardi
EY in talks to close London HQ as staff work from home
EY wants to move to a more environmentally friendly building, and staff are also spending less time in the office after the pandemic changed working patterns.
- Irina Anghel and Jack Sidders
EY’s Janet Truncale: Project Everest survivor with a mountain to climb
The first woman to become global chief of a big four consulting firm faces the challenge of uniting EY after its failed split.
- Stephen Foley
Huge new fines for PwC tax leak-type breaches
Labor will change corporate privacy laws which initially stopped the PwC leaks scandal becoming public and significantly slowed the response by regulators.
- Tom McIlroy
- Exclusive
- PwC
EY cuts 232 jobs as big four job losses widen
The consulting firms have now all cut local staff numbers, bringing the total reduction to roughly 900, or about 2 per cent of their collective workforce.
- Edmund Tadros
PwC cuts hundreds of jobs as scandal, slowdown hit
The nation’s once dominant consulting firm, PwC Australia, will cut more than 4 per cent of its 8000-strong workforce.
- Edmund Tadros
Consultants go from rock stars to targets of jest
A succession of scandals and a business slump has reduced the rock stars of the business world – as well as accountants, lawyers and PR spinners – to the butt of jokes.
- Matt Oliver and Adam Mawardi
- Exclusive
- Consulting
Former EY partner in tax case ‘took $700k in unauthorised payments’
EY Australia has outed itself as the big four firm involved in a court case in which a former partner is fighting to keep his name secret.
- Max Mason and Neil Chenoweth
October
Consultants looking to exit will struggle unless they are ‘top 10pc’
Management consultants will struggle to land new roles until Easter next year, but accounting, tax, audit and cyber experts continue to be sought after by the big consulting firms.
- Edmund Tadros
PwC picks Mohamed Kande as global chairman
PwC its international advisory business head, Mohamed Kande, as chairman, putting the big four firm in the hands of a consulting partner for the first time.
- Stephen Foley
Big four partnerships ‘not appealing’ for juniors
Low pay and long hours have put aspiring accountants off the once sought-after career goal of making partner at a major firm.
- Edmund Tadros
PwC’s global revenue growth lags big four rivals
The big four consulting firm says it is in the middle of an investment period that will pay off in future years, including a three-year hiring spree.
- Stephen Foley
