PwC Indigenous Consulting rebrands to Yamagigu Consulting after Deloitte buys minority stake

Deloitte has purchased a minority stake in PwC’s Indigenous consulting arm, which will see it renamed to a Aboriginal word meaning ‘our purpose is to go with you’.

Deloitte Australia has purchased a minority stake in PwC Indigenous Consulting as it looks to beef-up its presence in designing and delivering policies, programs and services to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The purchase of PwC’s stake by Deloitte will result in PwC Indigenous Consulting (PIC) being rebranded to Yamagigu, a Wiradyuri word meaning “our purpose is to go with you”.

Yamagigu Consulting will provide First Nations expertise to government, private sector and community-based clients in designing and delivering policies, programs and services to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, in line with the principles of Closing the Gap.

The new business will retain its majority First Nations-owned corporate and governance structures, its national reach and its core values of Truth, Respect and Self-Determination.

Deloitte Australia chief executive Adam Powick said Yamagigu Consulting will bring together market-leading Indigenous consulting and advisory expertise and Deloitte’s professional services capabilities.

“We’re really excited to be entering into this new venture with the Yamagigu team as they continue to effect meaningful change to create greater prosperity and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations, and communities,” he said.

PIC was created by PwC Australia in 2013 by then-CEO Luke Sayers and hired dozens of consultants, a majority of which had Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage. PwC had a minority 49 per cent stake in the firm, which is led by co-owner Gavin Brown.

PwC is reported in March to have sent expression-of-interest documents to private equity firms, Indigenous groups and other consulting operators to find a minority buyer for the business.

Yamagigu CEO Gavin Brown said the buy-in from Deloitte represented a new chapter for the business and would allow it to grow and support the “self-determination” of First Nations communities.

“We thank the wisdom and generosity of Wiradyuri Elders who worked with us to reflect the essence of our business, and our commitment to First Nations peoples and communities, through language,” he said.

Deloitte CEO Adam Powick says the purchase will help the firm to create greater prosperity for Aboriginal Australians.

“We are very proud of the work we have done over the last ten years of operation with more than 1300 projects completed across more than 800 communities around Australia and we look forward to continuing to offer our First Nations expertise that has made us a valued partner of governments, the private sector, and First Nations organisations.”

The transaction comes after PwC Australia sold its government consulting business for $1 to Allegro Funds to create Scyne advisory following its tax scandal in 2023.

At the time, PwC faced a banishment from Commonwealth contracts after the Department of Finance put in place disclosure rules after the scandal unfolding in the firm was revealed in parliament.

A Senate inquiry into the firm and the broader consulting industry published its findings in May, which recommended tighter scrutiny for government contracts and tougher guidelines for conflicts and tighter transparency measures.

In March, Deloitte announced a restructure of its business for the first time in a decade, which has seen it slice five units into four — audit and assurance; strategy, risk and transactions; technology and transformation; and tax and legal.