11 September, 2020

Governance week: Rio Tinto, ESG, climate risk, Aussie audit

Fallout for Rio Tinto The equivalent of going nuclear in governance is clearing out a company’s leadership. This week investors managed to detonate a bomb under Rio Tinto when the chief ex...

11 August, 2020

Shareholders happier with CEO pay levels

Shareholders appear to be happier with chief executive pay levels. Evidence collected by close observers reveals that the number of FTSE 100 companies seeing a shareholder revolt—a vote of less than...

27 July, 2020

Audit keeps failing—here’s why a fundamental change is needed

A massive shakeup of the UK’s audit industry is on the cards. The Big Four, which audit all of the FTSE 100 and 21 of the FTSE 250, have been told by the accounting regulator

22 July, 2020

How blockchain can create more resilient supply chains in the post-Covid recovery

The Covid-19 crisis has rattled supply chains around the globe and created serious questions about the future of commerce. Critical to recovery and restoring economic activity is regaining trust in th...

14 July, 2020

FRC scrutiny of audit quality reveals “unacceptable” level of issues

There is fresh criticism of auditors this week, as regulators report a third of audits inspected during the past year required a level of improvement that is “unacceptable”. Audit firms have al...

12 June, 2020

BDO client increase sees it overtake KPMG in UK auditor rankings

Change may be under way in the audit market, albeit tentatively. BDO, an audit firm outside the global Big Four, has become the second largest firm by number of listed clients in the UK, overtaking KP...

5 December, 2019

Board performance evaluation: ticking a box or making a difference?

A new lens is being applied to board performance. The demands and expectations on board members are changing dramatically with a clear focus on how boards are making decisions and responding to issues...

28 October, 2019

Big Four accountancy firms see decline in combined audit income growth

The growth in audit fees for Big Four firms has fallen back significantly to one of its lowest levels since 2010. Audit fees grew by 1.7% for Big Four firms combined—PwC, EY, Deloitte and KPMG—...

5 September, 2019

Indian regulators work on new rules to halt auditor exodus

Those wrestling with the thorny issue of a rising...

3 September, 2019

Auditor resignations indicate new attitude to client selection

The audit profession in Britain is at a turning point as Westminster—Brexit permitting—considers new regulation. It seems firms may be responding by clearing the decks: the press has spotted a ...