NewsBite

Big four consultants

This Month

Former speaker Tony Smith is advising Deloitte, we hear.

Deloitte taps ex-speaker Tony Smith for ‘advice’

Is Deloitte trying to get into the Coalition’s good books, or does Tony Smith just really love AI?

Argon & Co managing partner Paul Eastwood says consulting firms can be valuable investments, but they are “longer-term propositions”.

PE sinks $350 million into global consultancy firm

Argon & Co is the latest consulting firm to welcome outside capital, and says it will target mergers and acquisitions to grow rapidly.

Deloitte managing partner of audit and assurance Joanne Gorton.

Deloitte partners gripe over pay unit rumours

Even the Cairns sunshine wasn’t enough to stop a litany of complaints from partners.

Joanne Gorton from Deloitte has cost saving on her mind.

Deloitte’s job cutting CEO takes partners on Queensland retreat

As job losses climb into the hundreds, partners enjoyed the Cairns sun.

Tom Seymour at his (former) office in Brisbane.

Tax Practitioners Board and former PwC CEO can’t get on the same page

Tom Seymour may be trying to tick every box now, but the tax professionals watchdog isn’t helping.

Advertisement
EY’s Asia-Pacific region will be dissolved under the proposal.

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.

Outgoing chief executive partner of RSM Australia Jamie O’Rourke with incoming RSM Australia chief executive partner Robert Miano.

Big four culture makes partner hires unattractive: RSM chief executive

The mid-tier firm prefers to develop its own leaders over hiring from the big four consulting firms – unless those recruits can prove they are team players.

Consultants are tapping others to push their interests in Canberra.

EY and PwC become the outsourcers

Such is the big four’s plight in Canberra that they have started outsourcing their government dealings.

March

New Grant Thornton Australia chief executive Said Jahani is targeting mergers and lateral hires.

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.

Former EY partner Peter White fought to keep his name secret for more than a year.

Former EY partner being sued by ATO challenges tax assessment

Peter White is accused of promoting three illegal tax schemes to seven clients and taking $700,000 in secret commissions.

EY’s Asia-Pacific region will be dissolved under the proposal.

EY proposes massive restructure, merging divisions to find growth

The accounting and consulting major is proposing to end its overarching geographic groupings and merge regions in a move that will likely result in job losses.

New Deloitte CEO Joanne Gorton.

New Deloitte CEO does a night of long knives on consulting partners

The usually revered consulting division has been quietly decimated by sackings.

John Green, PwC Independent non-executive Governance Board chairman at their Sydney office. John talks about his observations after six months. Sydney. March 7, 2025. Photo: Louise Kennerley AFR

Post-tax-leak PwC looks beyond profit to measure partner performance

The firm’s first independent chairman, John Green, concedes it has a way to go before it fixes a “growth at all costs” culture where rainmakers are “untouchable”.

February

EY is set to close down its local legal business.

EY to cut about 100 staff, warns of ‘targeted restructuring’

An Ernst & Young representative said market volatility was continuing to affect business and targeted restructuring may be required.

Part of the team behind the Allegro Funds-backed Scyne Advisory: (from left) Ben Neal (Scyne Advisory), Adrian Loader (Allegro co-founder) and Fay Bou (Allegro managing director).

Scyne Advisory gets ethics and accountability sign off from Finance

After 15 months of monitoring, the Department of Finance concluded that Scyne had “implemented appropriate ethics, accountability and governance arrangements”.

Advertisement
Jenelle McMaster

Accenture’s DEI exit could draw disgruntled men from big four

Male consultants who feel gender targets have blocked their paths to partnership might see fresh opportunity at the tech consulting giant.

PwC Roundtable - Family, Business and You Sanjiv Jeraj - Partner PwC

Another PwC Australia deals partner to leave the firm

Senior partner Sanjiv Jeraj is retiring from the big four firm after almost two decades, and a new partner is helping clients use AI.

McKinsey has drawn political ire in the United States for its China ties.

McKinsey partners mull China pullout in Trump era

The consulting giant is worried that doing business in China may not be worth the risk.

Rohit Antao is the Advisory Leader for PWC Australia.

PwC’s advisory chief has an optimistic outlook for the firm’s finances

Rohit Antao says there is plenty of demand for advice on how to grow sales and cut costs, helping to drive a long-awaited rebound in the consulting sector.

Rachael Falk (left) and Kathleen Conner (centre) will join Ashurst’s risk advisory division as partners; Catherine Hunter has been appointed the next chief executive of Diversity Council Australia.

Ashurst expands risk advisory team, adding two new partners

Cybersecurity expert Rachael Falk and KPMG partner Kathleen Conner are joining the division, which now has 23 partners globally.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/big-four-consultants-1mq8