PKF Littlejohn has hired Marc Ireland to lead a new regulatory consulting service for financial services clients, a move that matters broadly because it adds specialist capacity at a firm competing directly with Big Four regulatory practices, and matters specifically to accountancy professionals across PKF's UK and Ireland network because regulated finance talent has become structurally scarce, commanding premiums that hold up even when broader hiring slows.

PKF Littlejohn is a London-headquartered accounting and advisory firm with 133 partners and more than 1,450 professionals, part of PKF Global, a network spanning 150 countries with 28 offices operating across the UK and Ireland.

Ireland brings more than 25 years of experience in financial services regulation and compliance, having built and led regulatory advisory teams at both Big Four firms and specialist consultancies.

Cheryl Mason, head of PKF Littlejohn's financial services team, said clients need "practical advice grounded in real regulatory experience" as the rulebook facing UK financial services firms grows more complex.

That demand sits on firmer ground than a single hiring cycle. Recruitment data on the regulated finance market shows the pools of qualified compliance and regulatory professionals inside FCA-authorised firms are small and structurally constrained, meaning premiums for this expertise hold up even when broader commercial hiring slows.

Ireland will work across PKF Littlejohn's existing audit, transaction services and restructuring lines rather than sitting in a standalone compliance function, letting clients access regulatory expertise alongside services they already buy from the firm rather than through a separate consultancy engagement.

That integrated model matters competitively because it positions PKF directly against the regulatory advisory arms Big Four firms have built for financial services clients, an area historically dominated by larger networks with dedicated regulatory practices.

For the sector, the hire extends specialist regulatory capability across PKF's unified UK and Ireland network, giving Irish financial services clients access to the same integrated audit and compliance offering now available in London.

Source: Consultancy.uk / Accountancy Capital