The U.K.’s financial regulator has issued over £1 billion ($1.35 billion) of fines for regulated firms’ basic internal control failures in the past five years. This accounted for more than half of the total fines issued to financial services firms in the period.
Accounting & Auditing
Posted inWhistleblowers
KPMG Australia CEO resigns over mishandling of whistleblower allegations
KPMG Australia says that CEO Andrew Yates has resigned, effective immediately, over the mishandling of whistleblower allegations. The board has appointed Stan Stavros as interim CEO of KPMG Australia, while continuing the search for a permanent successor.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing, Artificial Intelligence, Finance, Top Stories, United Kingdom
Auditors who use AI cannot blame the tech for mistakes, says U.K. regulator
The U.K.’s audit regulator has issued what it says is the world’s first guidance on the use of generative AI and agentic AI in auditing. This sets out where AI should and shouldn’t be used in auditing, and why audit firms will not be able to blame the tech if it goes wrong.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
U.K. audit regulator launches new supervisory model, but wider audit reform questions remain
The U.K. audit regulator has announced a major “evolution” of its audit supervisory model, promising to introduce a more proportionate, effective, and integrated framework.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
What to know about double materiality assessments for ESG initiatives
Double materiality assessments help organizations identify and prioritise ESG topics that matter most, both in terms of their impact on society and the environment, and their financial implications for the business.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
EY compliance partner leaves after independence failings prompt regulatory investigation
Four senior partners at Big Four accountancy firm Ernst & Young, including a leader in the firm’s compliance function, have left the company because of spiralling repercussions from a costly compliance failure.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Five questions business leaders should be asking in 2026 to manage transformation risk
Working with clients in various sectors over the past year, one thing is clear: Transformation is bigger, faster, and more interconnected. Tech, talent, regulation, and operations—it’s hitting at once.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
French investigators target anticompetitive practices in largest accounting firms
Major accountancy firms in France are under investigation for anti-competitive practices. The French competition watchdog embarked on a series of “unannounced inspections” and removed documents relating to audit and reporting on Jan. 13.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
SOX was built for humans. AI doesn’t fit that model.
For more than two decades, assurance and compliance frameworks have rested on a simple assumption: Material decisions are made by people. Post‑Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) assurance reset worked because it aligned accountability with human behavior. That assumption shapes how internal controls are designed, how accountability is assigned, and how assurance is delivered.
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Hot Topics in Risk and Compliance: AI, Analytics, and Emerging Audit Technologies
Join experts from KPMG, Cisco, and Workiva as they explore how audit, accounting, and finance professionals can leverage a technology mix of data analytics, gen AI, and other tools to ramp up efficiency and strengthen control effectiveness.
