This Month
Top consultancies freeze starting salaries as AI threatens ‘pyramid’ model
Productivity gains from technology are spurring debate about reliance on large numbers of junior advisers.
November
Top 100 accounting firms rush to adopt AI – with mixed results
The nation’s largest accounting companies want to cut costs and swap routine compliance for real-time financial advice.
How this accounting firm doubled female partner numbers in five years
Walker Wayland partner Kate Douglass says new parents can be those who want a full break or those who call in after a few months desperate for adult connection.
Accounting firms want grads with the social skills AI can’t replace
Accounting firms are seeking graduates with personality and grit, making part-time retail work, team sports and volunteering as valuable as good marks.
Consultants slash grad hiring by nearly half. But don’t blame AI
The number of graduates hired by the big four – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – has hit a five-year low. But it’s not due to the rapid advance in AI, at least not yet.
October
Deloitte to pay $52m over audit work on US nuclear fiasco
Former shareholders in utility Scana said the big four firm failed to spot red flags and allowed management to hide mounting issues.
September
The most powerful people in consulting in 2025
The glamour boys and girls of the firms’ consulting arms have been humbled, while the typically serious auditors have gained the upper hand.
August
Estate agents and lawyers: AUSTRAC boss reveals new targets
AUSTRAC boss Brendan Thomas believes banks, law firms and real estate agents, are key to tackling scams, drug trafficking and organised crime.
Senators oppose PwC return to government work
Any decision to lift the ban is a formality because PwC will not provide services to any level of government until at least 2028.
July
Macquarie defends ex-KPMG director over coveted audit contract
The bank refuses to say whether board director Michelle Hinchliffe has recused herself from deliberations around its prized audit contract.
KPMG, EY frontrunners to snatch coveted Macquarie audit role from PwC
Working on the investment and banking giant’s books is one of the most complex jobs for an accounting firm, but one that promises a significant windfall.
June
PwC Australia’s profit slumps 17pc, inaugural audited accounts show
The firm is the first big four accounting group to publish an audited financial report, part of its reform process following the tax leaks scandal.
May
Can MinRes’ cleanskin chairman tame the Chris Ellison show?
Malcolm Bundey will have one of the biggest governance mop-up jobs in years, with the heavily indebted miner facing investigation by the corporate regulator.
April
EY Oceania to avoid merger in global restructure
The firm’s local division will continue to be led by chief executive David Larocca, but job cuts are expected amid a broader reorganisation of the business.
March
New Grant Thornton boss to strike at bigger rivals ‘while iron is hot’
Said Jahani wants to elevate the fast-growing firm’s market position, but is cautious on following his UK and US colleagues in taking private capital.
Alvarez & Marsal poaches Deloitte partner
The departure comes after the consultancy firm raided Deloitte’s partner ranks in early December to kick off its Australian restructuring unit.
KPMG to merge dozens of partnerships in overhaul of global structure
The effort to more closely integrate the businesses amounts to one of the biggest restructures of a big four network in years.
February
KPMG pulls DEI reports from website after Trump pressure
The big four firm in the United States has become the latest government contractor to ditch DEI targets.
‘Man in a hurry’: Luke Sayers’ bumpy road to the top of PwC
Before he became boss of the auditing and consulting giant, the ambitious partner was fined for behavioural breaches and apologised to a group of female partners for unspecified past behaviour.
Dozens of PwC China partners step aside after audit ban
The disclosure suggests the big four firm has lost state-owned and finance sector clients.