The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. They are the four largest global accounting networks as measured by revenue. The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, particularly accounting, they are considered equally attractive networks to work in, because of the frequency with which these firms engage with Fortune 500 companies.
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trading as EY, is a multinational professional services partnership. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, it is one of the Big Four accounting firms. It primarily provides assurance, tax, information technology services, consulting, and advisory services to its clients.
KPMG International Limited is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. The name "KPMG" stands for "Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler". The initialism was chosen when KMG merged with Peat Marwick in 1987.
PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited is a multinational professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Deloitte, EY, and KPMG.
G4S is a British multinational private security company headquartered in London, England. The company was set up in July 2004 when London-based Securicor amalgamated with Danish firm Group 4 Falck. The company offers a range of services, including the supply of security personnel, monitoring equipment, response units and secure prisoner transportation. G4S also works with governments overseas to deliver security services.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, commonly referred to as Deloitte, is a multinational professional services network based in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of employees in the world and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with EY, KPMG, and PwC.
Amec Foster Wheeler plc was a British multinational consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. In October 2017, it was acquired by Wood Group.
Foster Wheeler AG was a Swiss global engineering conglomerate with its principal executive offices in Reading, UK and its registered office in Baar, Canton of Zug, Switzerland. Foster Wheeler was added to the NASDAQ-100 on 12 July 2007. On 13 November 2014 Foster Wheeler merged with Amec plc to form Amec Foster Wheeler. The resultant company was acquired by and merged into Wood Group in October 2017.
Gies College of Business is the business school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public research university in Champaign, Illinois. The college offers undergraduate program, masters programs, and a PhD program. The college and its Department of Accountancy are separately accredited by AACSB International.
RSM Tenon was a professional services firm based in the United Kingdom, which was listed on the FTSE SmallCap Index and part of RSM Global. The company was formed from the merger of the Tenon Group with RSM Bentley Jennison in December 2009.
Forvis Mazars is an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting and consulting employing more than 40,000 professionals in over 100 countries. The organisation emerged from a 2023 agreement between Mazars and FORVIS to create the Forvis Mazars network, which launched in June 2024. The network comprises Forvis Mazars Group SC operating globally except in the United States, and Forvis Mazars LLP, operating in the US.
Samir Yacoub Brikho FREng is a Lebanese-Swedish Chairman of the Board of Directors at global fertilizer producer EuroChem Group AG. Brikho has previously held senior positions in many leading companies such as Asea, ABB Group, Alstom and Amec Foster Wheeler.
Trevor Birch is an English chartered accountant, football executive, and former professional footballer. He is chief executive of the English Football League. Birch has been an executive at several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City, Chelsea, Leeds United, Everton, Derby County, and Sheffield United. Birch has worked at Ernst & Young, BDO International, and Duff & Phelps.
John Wood Group plc, commonly known as Wood, is a British multinational engineering and consulting business with headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange as well as being a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Moore Kingston Smith founded in 1923 is an accountancy firm located in the United Kingdom. The firm has six offices in London and the south-east and is the London member of the Moore Global Network. In 2022, the Moore UK network ranked 11th on Accountancy Age magazine's "UK Top 50 Accountancy Firms" list.
HLB International is a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms, comprising member firms in 157 countries. HLB International member firms offer audit, accounting, tax and business advisory services.
Sir John Patrick Griffin is a British businessman. He is the founder of the cab and courier company Addison Lee.
Cindy Hook is an American-Australian business executive. She was the chief executive officer of Deloitte Asia Pacific from 2018 to 2022, and CEO for Deloitte Australia from 2015 to 2018, making her the first female CEO of an Australian big four professional services firm, and championed diversity and inclusion while in that role. She is the chief executive of the organising committee for the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax, consulting and business advisory firms that provide professional services under the name BDO. It is the fifth-largest accounting network in the world. Global fee income of the member firms in the network for the year ended 30 September 2023, including the members of their exclusive alliances, totaled US$ 14 billion. Each BDO member firm is an independent legal entity in its own country. The network, founded in 1963 as Binder Seidman International Group by firms from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, is coordinated by BDO Global Coordination B.V., with an office in Zaventem, Belgium. In 1973, the organisation adopted the name BDO, made up from the initials of the three founding firms: Binder (UK), Dijker (Netherlands) and Otte (Germany).
Lindsay John Brown was a New Zealand accountant. He served as chancellor of the University of Otago from 2004 to 2008.
