BDO Australia, the country’s fifth-largest accounting firm by revenue, has poached two former big four partners to expand into Canberra as it becomes the latest outfit to make a play for Commonwealth advisory work.

The firm, which posted a bumper 14 per cent rise in revenue to $540 million in 2023-24, has recruited Paul McDougall, formerly of PwC and Scyne Advisory, and Ridhish Arora, who is ex-Deloitte and Sayers Group, to lead the new office.