Deloitte UK has created the role of chief AI officer and appointed Hayley McKelvey to the post, bringing AI strategy directly into its senior leadership. 

McKelvey assumed the new role on 1 June 2026. 

She will oversee the company’s AI agenda across both client-facing work and internal operations, with a brief to coordinate AI initiatives and embed the technology more deeply across the business. 

She stepped into the new position from her current role as chief AI officer for Deloitte’s UK Tax and Legal practices. 

McKelvey has more than two decades of experience in technology and transformation, including leading large-scale digital change programmes for clients and within the company. 

McKelvey said: “I am honoured to step into this role at a time when AI is fundamentally reshaping professional services. Data, AI and technology are changing how business is done, with profound implications for economies, organisations and the future of work. 

“Harnessing the power of AI responsibly and strategically, both for our clients and in our own operations, is my priority. I look forward to working with our partners to build on our momentum and continue to deliver real, measurable outcomes with AI.” 

Her appointment is part of a wider reorganisation of Deloitte UK’s executive team, led by the company’s new UK CEO Darren Graves. 

Alongside McKelvey, Deloitte UK has named Hammad Rafique as managing partner for Technology & Transformation, Dave Sharman as managing partner for Strategy, Risk & Transactions Advisory and Alan Chaudhuri as chief risk officer in the UK. 

Graves said: “I am excited to be welcoming Hayley, Hammad, Dave and Alan to our Executive. 

“By appointing a chief AI officer to the UK Executive in particular, we are sharpening our focus on the future and positioning our firm for continued growth as the next-generation professional services firm.” 

In a separate regional development, Deloitte Asia-Pacific (APAC) has appointed Robert Hillard as APAC CEO for a four-year term, following partner endorsement across the region. He succeeded David Hill, whose term concluded on 31 May 2026. 

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has backed HMRC’s plan for standardised, fully tagged digital company tax returns, but warned that added compliance must stay proportionate. 

In its consultation response, the ACCA said a single, fully tagged structure for corporation tax computations could cut repeat data entry and help reduce follow‑up enquiries from HMRC. 

ACCA Technical and Strategic Engagement head Glenn Collins said: “Against a challenging economic backdrop for UK businesses, it is important that new compliance obligations remain proportionate. 

“Cumulative burden of regulation has the biggest impact on business. Parallel processes, overlapping obligations and duplicate requirements make compliance much more time intensive.” 

The ACCA also called on HMRC to build flexibility into any redesigned system, rather than locking in rigid processes. 

ACCA EEMA-UK Policy manager Christian Novak said: “ACCA views lock tags in software products as helping promote both consistency and standardisation. 

“However, we would like to see more examples of how such requirements operate in real-world contexts. This includes the process that underpins alterations and the blocking of submissions.’” 

The ACCA said any new reporting rules should reflect what it sees as core features of a sound tax system: simplicity, certainty and stability, and urged HMRC to consider the wider impact on businesses as digital reforms progress. 

Earlier this week, the ACCA supported the Financial Reporting Council’s potential adoption of an international standard on auditing for less complex entities. 

The accounting body said the move would allow audits to better reflect the circumstances of smaller and less complex businesses. 

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has welcomed the Skills England Annual Skills Report 2026 for prioritising skills gaps, economic growth and preparation for an AI-driven labour market. 

The report stresses the need to equip workers for technological change, productivity pressures and shifting workforce demands. 

CIMA said the approach could be strengthened by giving more weight to core business skills such as management accounting and financial management, which it views as key to “driving organisational performance, resilience and sustainable growth”. 

CIMA CEO Andrew Harding said: “We welcome Skills England’s focus on building a more responsive and future-ready skills system. 

“As the UK accelerates towards an AI-enabled economy, there is a clear opportunity to place greater emphasis on the business-critical skills and lifelong learning that underpin effective decision-making, especially in management accounting, financial planning and performance management.” 

However, the institute questioned the decision to withdraw Level 7 apprenticeships in accounting and finance. 

It warned that cutting funding for Level 7 apprenticeships, including in accounting and finance, could undermine efforts to build a more inclusive and growth-focused skills system. 

CIMA UK and Europe vice-president Paul Turner said: “Professional bodies such as CIMA play a critical role in supporting lifelong learning and helping individuals and businesses adapt through continuous reskilling and upskilling. 

“The removal of Level 7 apprenticeships in areas such as accounting and finance – one of the UK’s core business skills – is at odds with the ambition to drive growth, opportunity and social mobility. 

“These pathways have proven to be a vital route for early career talent to access high-level professional skills while earning and learning.” 

CIMA also argued that alongside digital and technical capabilities, employers need professionals who can turn data into insight, support strategy and resilience, and ensure strong financial governance and accountability. 

It also called for closer collaboration with professional bodies within the UK’s skills strategy. 

Last month, CIMA issued a white paper warning that companies must be ready to keep adapting their business models as global risks intensify and interact unpredictably. 

Income Tax and National Insurance (NI) have been identified by members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) as the taxes most urgently in need of reform, according to the body’s first member poll since the Scottish election. 

The ICAS Scottish Election Pulse survey ran from 12 to 20 May 2026 and received 419 responses. 

In the poll, 39% of chartered accountants pointed to Income Tax and NI as the top reform priority. 

This was more than twice the proportion selecting non-domestic rates (17%). 

Council Tax (16%) followed closely behind, while Inheritance Tax (10%) was ranked as a lower priority. 

Responses highlight concern over the impact of personal taxation on households, business activity and overall economic performance, against a backdrop of “fragile” economic confidence and debate over Scotland’s tax competitiveness. 

Members also urged the new Scottish Government to use its first six months to set out a credible long-term strategy for economic growth and sustainable public finances. 

When asked what would best support that growth, respondents favoured targeted tax incentives along with a more stable and straightforward tax regime. 

ICAS Tax director Katie Close said: “The strength of feeling around Income Tax and NI reflects the growing impact of fiscal drag, with frozen thresholds pushing more people into higher tax bands while eroding their real spending power.” 

An earlier survey by ICAS found that positivity around Scotland’s economic outlook remains low, with respondents reporting a lack of confidence. 

ICAS noted that the earlier results mirror findings from its post-Budget survey, indicating that earlier concerns over the economic environment remain unresolved. 

ICAS CEO Gail Boag said: “The next five years will be pivotal for Scotland. The country is grappling with economic inactivity, weak growth, skills shortages, global uncertainty and a rising budget deficit. Only long-term, ambitious policy-making will unlock the investment and sustainable growth the country needs.”

Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) has elected Joan Curry as its new president at the accounting body’s 138th annual general meeting in Dublin. 

Curry has been part of CAI’s council since 2018 and has extensive experience in public financial management. 

She previously headed the Finance division at the Department of Transport and has worked across multiple government departments. 

Within CAI, Curry has held various senior roles including chairing the Public Sector Committee. 

Additionally, she has also been a board member of the International Federation of Accountants, contributing to the development of global standards and policy. 

The appointment comes as the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority’s (IAASA’s) Profile of the Profession 2025 report shows that 1,164 CAI trainees became members last year. 

They represented 62% of all new entrants to professional accountancy bodies in Ireland last year. 

Curry said: “This year, the Institute welcomed its 40,000th member, the result of an education programme that has been significantly overhauled. 

“Since 2018, our syllabus has evolved to include areas such as robotic process automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, blockchain and accounting for digital assets to meet the needs of business. The programme is delivered using ‘adaptive’ personalised learning. 

“This future-proofed approach combined with pass rates of 79% in our final exams, and the strong progression through training to membership – as highlighted in IAASA’s latest statistics – is central to meeting continued demand for highly skilled professionals across the island.” 

CAI has also appointed Niall Walsh, a partner at Deloitte Ireland, as deputy president and Michael Kavanagh, chief executive of the Compliance Institute, as vice-president. 

Last month, CAI released a position paper on the future of AI and accountancy. 

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in the US has set up a new advisory group, the Inspections Modernisation Council, and is inviting external stakeholders to join. 

The organisation’s inspections programme, in place for more than two decades, has been central to the PCAOB’s work on audit quality. 

The new initiative is intended to update the programme so it stays “relevant and resilient”, with support from outside experts. 

The PCAOB is seeking members with capital markets experience and knowledge of its inspections, including academics, audit committee members, finance leaders at public companies, investors, other regulators and auditors from companies of different sizes, and technologists. 

Applicants must show a “demonstrated commitment to the interests of investors and the public”, a statement said. 

PCAOB chairman Demetrios Logothetis said: “Modernisation of PCAOB inspections has the potential to bring improved audit quality and other significant benefits to investors and other stakeholders. 

“The Inspections Modernisation Council will help us shape the future of PCAOB inspections, and we invite individuals of the highest integrity to join us in this effort.” 

The application window closes on 15 June 2026. 

The PCAOB oversees audits of public companies, as well as the audits of brokers and dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Earlier this month, the PCAOB confirmed the appointment of Randy Thornton as its chief operating officer. 

He will lead the enterprise strategy function, and the human resources, finance, technology and project management offices.