PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR
ON the back of the Office of Fair Trading launching its investigation into the market dominance of the “Big Four”, it’s never been more important for professional services firms to prove their worth. Never far from the centre of the City’s biggest deals, strategic reviews and financial reports, our shortlisted entrants are favourites of UK companies way beyond the FTSE 100. At the forefront of graduate initiatives and with an increasingly young workforce, these firms are proving the sector’s reputation should be anything but dull.
KPMG
KPMG has positioned itself at the forefront of efforts to open up the City beyond its traditional talent pool this year, with the introduction of a school leavers’ initiative to broaden access to the accounting profession. The programme offers a six year programme with the opportunity to get a university degree and a professional accounting qualification while working – with a starting salary of £20,000. And while innovation at the firm has focused on finding new talent, KPMG has continued to be one of the go-to professional services firms for the UK’s biggest companies, including Associated British Foods, G4S and WPP.
ERNST & YOUNG
NAMED as one of the UK’s top 50 employers just last month, the baby of the big four continues to refuse to be put in a corner. The launch of its private sector internship and work experience “Fast Track” programme in March created over 700 new placements for student and graduates through insight days and summer internships – 50 per cent of which it plans to convert into full-time jobs by 2013.
With its respected Entrepreneur of the Year awards now running across 50 countries, the firm is also auditor-adviser to some of the UK’s most active firms, including Aviva and BP.
DELOITTE
DELOITTE increased its roster of FTSE 100 clients by two this year to match KPMG as the second favourite accountancy firm among the UK’s top listed companies.
It has also been all change at the top for Deloitte, with tax man David Sproul becoming UK chief executive at the end of last year, and new chairman Steve Arnold starting in June. Arnold has stressed the importance of interacting with regulators in the face of increased scrutiny of the Big Four. On top of pipeline work for key clients BSkyB and Anglo American , the firm will be happy to have its hands full.
PWC
THE inhabitants of London’s greenest building have had a stellar year so far, winning 240 audits in the first six months including mandates from Threadneedle, Cadbury and IG Index. After officially rebranding as PwC late last year, the company rolled out a new logo and websites across its network of offices around the world, putting relationships with its clients, employees and wider stakeholders at the centre of its ethos. Regularly voted among the best graduate recruiters in the UK, PwC recently launched a scheme with Henley Business School, and continues to encourage graduates that might not meet traditional requirements through its “Inspired Talent” scheme. PwC is also the FTSE 100’s favourite, with 38 clients from the UK’s top listed firms.
L.E.K. CONSULTING
FOUNDED by three ex-partners of Bain & Company in 1983, L.E.K. Consulting has since become one of the most respected management consultancy firms, particularly among its growing roster of private equity clients.
A natural competitor to rivals such as Bain and McKinsey, L.E.K is prized by clients for its data-driven analysis and focus on strategy, transaction support and performance improvement. Often cited as a driven and entrepenurial firm among its more traditional counterparts, L.E.K.’s relatively young partnership has thrived – from its base in London the firm has now expanded to more than 900 professionals in 20 offices across the world.