E&Y knock PwC off Superbrand top spot

ERNST & YOUNG has succeeded PwC as the strongest accounting and business brand in the Superbrands annual league table for 2013.

For the first time in the Business Superbrands' 12 year history, E&Y has knocked PwC from its first position down to fourth.

Ernst & Young has been in second place consistently since the ranking's inception. This year second place went to Deloitte, third to KPMG and fourth to PwC.

Grant Thornton made it to fifth place, Baker Tilly sixth and BDO seventh. Last year PwC were first, followed by Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte, Grant Thornton and BDO.

Steve Varley, UK chairman and managing partner at Ernst & Young, said: "I am really proud of the Ernst & Young global brand.

"Being the number one brand in our sector is a tribute to all our people, and is recognition of our focus on globalisation, entrepreneurship and being the most diverse and inclusive employer in our industry."

Other accounting organisation to make it onto the rankings table, in alphabetical order, are: ACCA, Baker Tilly, CIMA, ICAEW, and the IFA. 

Earlier this year E&Y partner Liz Bingham was recognised as one of the UK's most powerful women in the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List 2013. The entry was the only Big Four representative on the list and includes 100 of the most influential women in the country.

At the end of last year the firm managed to top the Diversity & Inclusiveness report produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. The research surveyed 300 companies on diversity and inclusiveness with E&Y topping the list followed by BT, IBM, Barclays and Sodexo.

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