Yesterday
KPMG partner fined for using AI to cheat – on an AI test
More than two dozen KPMG Australia personnel have also used artificial intelligence to cheat on internal exams since July.
Alvarez & Marsal plots major expansion with big salaries – and demands
The global advisory firm came to Australia in 2023 and has plans to keep hiring and increase revenues rapidly even as the industry’s biggest players shrink.
Alvarez & Marsal ‘vikings’ come for Australia’s consulting giants
Bryan Marsal has plenty to say about the New York-headquartered firm’s local prospects. Just don’t suggest it’s an “eat what you kill” operation.
This Month
Luke Sayers’ history of soft-touch probes
The AFL’s rather perfunctory investigation wasn’t the first time the ex-PwC CEO has faced workplace questions of a personal nature.
BGH-backed Horizon Nexus lands its Big Four-stacked leadership team
Australia’s newest private professional services firm is off to the races and eager to go toe-to-toe with the sector’s leaders.
Labor dodges push to cap big four partnerships at 400
The government has also sidestepped a bipartisan proposal to force Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC to separate the management of their audit and non-audit practices.
KPMG to outsource hundreds of executive assistants to the Philippines
The cut of 200 of its 260 support staff represents about 2 per cent of the big-four consultancy’s almost 9000-strong workforce.
January
After three decades, Deloitte’s local chief financial officer bows out
Jody Burton has managed partners, overseen risk mitigation and run the firm’s finances. In 2003, she thought her career might be over before it really took off.
‘Promoted outwards’: The year’s most indigestible jargon
Artificial intelligence has made the world of corporate guff even more horrific. Here are the worst words of 2025 – we hope to never see any of them again.
The end of the golden era of consulting (and 8 other trends for 2026)
Artificial intelligence is striking fear into the heart of management consultants everywhere. It is one of nine key business trends to watch this year.
December 2025
BGH-backed consulting venture secures first big four partner hire
Two members of EY’s financial due diligence team, led by partner Steve Clark, are set to join ex-PwC partner Rob Silverwood’s new operation.
Deloitte partner exits over AI error-riddled report
The Finance Department is investigating whether other public sector agencies have quality complaints after the firm’s botched report.
Former PwC CEO fined, suspended by Chartered Accountants ANZ
The decision came after the Tax Practitioners Board found Tom Seymour failed to act on signs that secret government information was being shared among partners.
KPMG auditors caught using AI to cheat on tests
Using AI for assessments is already rampant among schoolkids and uni students, so it was only a matter of time before staff at consulting firms jumped on board.
November 2025
EY Oceania cuts 90 from consulting arm
The firm continues to hire many graduates, with almost 600 joining during the past year, and is relying on these recruits to bring AI skills into the business.
Macquarie win puts KPMG on track to dominate ASX20 audits
The Macquarie audit is the most coveted and valuable auditing gig in the country, worth almost $75 million in annual fees.
Allegro-owned PwC spin-off Scyne slides to big loss in first full year
Accounts lodged with the corporate regulator show the private equity firm injected another $50 million into the public sector consultancy in the 12 months.
$841m public service pay blowout
The budget in March forecast a $42 billion deficit this financial year, though that does not include unbudgeted election promises or the soaring cost of wages.
October 2025
The mystery behind sacked EY partner’s missing $4000 jacket
Leonard Joseph Nicita not only lost his coat, but also his job. Though at least he got the former back.
Labor to promote SMEs, women-led firms in overhaul of contracts rules
The new rules will raise the threshold for foreign companies to win government work in a bid to help smaller, local firms win taxpayer-funded contracts instead.
