MAKE Delivers Fruit Riot X Sour Patch Kids Crossover Spot
MAKE, the creative studio behind numerous Sour Patch Kids projects, produced a new commercial for the Fruit Riot × Sour Patch Kids crossover. The spot, developed in partnership with Mondelez and Beyond Better Foods, blends Fruit Riot’s fresh vibe with Sour Patch Kids’ bold, sour‑sweet energy. MAKE handled the entire process—from concept through post‑production—ensuring both brand identities remain distinct yet cohesive on screen. The campaign showcases a unified visual narrative that highlights the shared “sour‑forward” positioning of the two snack lines.
Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade Welcomes New Chief Fire Officer Rob Grayson
Rob Grayson has been appointed chief fire officer of the Ōtāne Volunteer Fire Brigade, succeeding John Oliver after a 32‑year tenure. Grayson, a 17‑year firefighter and former deputy chief, now oversees day‑to‑day operations for the 17‑member volunteer unit. He highlighted...
Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says 'AI Shift' Opens Opportunities to Invest in Startups
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the AI boom is opening new opportunities for Alphabet to invest in high‑growth startups. The company’s early bet on SpaceX now values at roughly $100 billion, while recent commitments to Anthropic, Stripe and Waymo total billions...
Iran Updates: Pakistan Seeks 2-Week Pause After Trump Warns 'Whole Civilization Will Die' If No Deal by Deadline
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that a missed deadline would trigger massive strikes, claiming a "whole civilization" could die if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed on X for a two‑week...
Reminders on Group Audit
ISA 600, the standard governing group audits, was revised and became effective for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2023. The update introduces a proactive, risk‑based methodology, expands the definition of the engagement team to include component auditors, and tightens requirements around...
Applying a Forensic Lens to Audits
Audit firms are embedding forensic specialists and advanced analytics into high‑risk engagements, with KPMG and EY leading the shift for FTSE 250 and FTSE 100 audits. Forensic input sharpens professional scepticism, challenges management assumptions, and uncovers fraud that traditional checklists...
Reviewing Audit File Assembly Procedures
Audit firms are being urged to tighten file assembly, completion and safeguarding practices after ICAEW’s Quality Assurance Department highlighted weaknesses. The new ISQM standards and ISA 230 require a written policy and a 60‑day deadline for final UK audit files. Firms...
Reminders for Auditors on the UK Corporate Governance Code
The Financial Reporting Council’s January 2024 update to the UK Corporate Governance Code introduces revised Provision 29, expanding board reporting on risk, internal controls and ineffective controls. The new requirements take effect for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2025, with the...
Trends in Outsourcing and Offshoring
The ICAEW report shows audit outsourcing and offshoring have accelerated, with chargeable hours offshored up 86% in three years and a projected 71% rise. Regulatory demands since 2016 and pandemic‑driven virtual work are key drivers, prompting firms to use ticketing...
Enhancing Your Firm’s Annual SoQM Evaluation
The article outlines ten practical tips for audit firms to strengthen their System of Quality Management (SoQM) under the International Standard on Quality Management (ISQM 1), which became mandatory in December 2022. It emphasizes that firms must conduct an annual, documented...
Practical Pointers on Auditing Cash Flow Statements
Regulators, led by the UK FRC, are tightening oversight of cash‑flow statement audits, highlighting recurring material misstatements. Hugh Morgan of RSM UK outlines practical steps to shore up planning and execution, stressing senior‑level responsibility and alignment with ISA 315 risk assessments....
Progressing ISQM 1 Implementation in Independent Firms
Independent audit firms are wrestling with ISQM 1 implementation, but a lean, three‑to‑four‑page quality‑management system can satisfy regulatory demands. Practical steps like using web forms for confirmations and adopting the simple “5‑Whys” root‑cause analysis help firms address risks without overwhelming resources....
Efficient Pensions Audits for Trustees: Relationships Matter
Efficient pension scheme audits hinge on coordinated communication among trustees, scheme auditors, and sponsor‑entity auditors. ICAEW highlights that trustees often receive overlapping information requests, creating a perceived double audit. By understanding obstacles to information sharing, aligning audit planning, and clarifying...
Developing Professional Judgement
ICAEW has launched a free e‑learning programme for members, "Applying Professional Judgment in Audit," to help auditors sharpen the use of professional judgment. The four‑module course mirrors the UK Financial Reporting Council’s 2022 Professional Judgment Guidance and offers verifiable four‑hour...
Hot Topics and Tips for 2025 Audits
Peter Herbert’s November 2024 webinar outlined the most pressing audit changes for 2025, including the revised ISA 600 top‑down group audit methodology, the updated FRC Ethical Standard fee‑dependency thresholds, and higher small‑company size limits. The ICAEW Audit Regulations now require audit‑qualified...
Changes to Company Size Thresholds
From 6 April 2025, UK legislation will raise company size thresholds, reducing reporting and audit obligations for many businesses, including limited liability partnerships. Entities that fall into the small‑entity or micro‑entity categories will be exempt from statutory audits, strategic reports, and, for...
Improving the Audit of Cash Flow Statements
Auditors are repeatedly missing cash‑flow statement errors, prompting regulators such as the FRC to call for tighter scrutiny. In a Q&A, RSM UK Technical Director Hugh Morgan outlines how audit teams can improve cash‑flow audits, from assigning senior reviewers to...
UK Audit Regulations and Guidance
UK audit firms face a critical compliance deadline of 1 April 2025, when new provisions on firm control and audit registration become mandatory. The regulations, jointly overseen by ICAEW, ICAS and CAI, also introduce later‑year changes, including a notification requirement for complex...
Advancing Sustainability Reporting and Assurance
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants have released two complementary standards—ISS A 5000 and the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA)—to create a unified global framework for sustainability assurance. The new standards...
UK Audit Regulations and Guidance
Effective 1 June 2025, ICAEW‑registered audit firms must notify ICAEW when they accept complex or high‑risk audits that meet specific turnover, fee or public‑interest thresholds. The notification must be submitted online within 21 business days of appointment, unless a waiver is granted...
ISQM 1 Monitoring and Remediation
ISQM 1 requires audit firms to maintain a continuous monitoring and remediation process as a core component of their system of quality management. The standard mandates systematic activities such as cold‑file reviews, root cause analysis, and timely remedial actions to address...
Auditing Revenue – Dealing with the Risks
Auditors frequently overlook revenue‑related risks, leading to regulator criticism for inadequate challenge of management assumptions and insufficient testing of material streams. A robust audit must dissect revenue streams, focus on completeness and cut‑off assertions, and understand the entity’s recognition criteria...
UK Guidance for Audits of Smaller and Less Complex Entities
The UK Financial Reporting Council has issued a 65‑page exposure draft Practice Note offering guidance on applying International Standards on Auditing (UK) to smaller and less complex entities. The draft, informed by an SME audit market study, proposes scalable, proportionate...
Exploring the Impact of New Sustainability Assurance Standards on Engagements
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standard Board for Accountants launched two new global sustainability assurance standards—ISSA 5000 and the IESSA—effective for engagements beginning 15 December 2026, with early adoption encouraged. ISSA 5000 provides a principles‑based framework covering all...
Auditing Revenue – Considerations for Your Next Assignment
Audit firms must revamp revenue audit approaches for the 2025‑2026 reporting season as the revised FRS 102 five‑step model takes effect in 2026. The article outlines how auditors should engage early with management on contracts, performance obligations, and payment probability, and...
Practical Advice for Considering Complexity in Audit-Relevant IT Systems
Audit & Beyond highlights the growing challenge for auditors to assess IT complexity in audited entities, especially after the ISA 315 revision effective December 2021. The ICAEW 2025 monitoring report shows many smaller firms fail to document understanding of ERP, AI,...
Audit and Tech – Where Are We Now?
2025 saw regulators and professional bodies accelerate technology adoption in audit, highlighted by the FRC’s inaugural AI guidance and the launch of its Innovation and Improvement Hub. The IAASB moved beyond technology‑agnostic standards, issuing a Technology Position and preparing revised...
Executing Effective Substantive Analytical Procedures
Graham Gardner’s article moves the focus of substantive analytical procedures (SAPs) from design to execution, highlighting disaggregation, threshold setting, and documentation. He explains how breaking balances into sub‑populations reduces noise and improves precision, while also introducing aggregation risk that must...
A Conversation with Nigel Sleigh-Johnson
After 25 years at ICAEW, Nigel Sleigh‑Johnson reflects on the profession’s shift from paper‑based processes to a digitally enabled, hybrid work model. He highlights how the pandemic forced rapid adoption of remote auditing, electronic signatures, and new guidance such as...
FinCEN Advisory Mandates Expansion of SAR Reporting in Healthcare Context
FinCEN issued a March 30, 2026 Healthcare Fraud Advisory (FIN‑2026‑A001) that adds 24 new, healthcare‑specific red flags for banks to monitor. The guidance targets three core fraud schemes: shell companies posing as providers, false or inflated Medicare/Medicaid claims, and laundering of illicit...
Predictive Sales Analytics: An Invaluable GTM Resource
Predictive sales analytics is reshaping B2B go‑to‑market (GTM) operations by swapping manual spreadsheet forecasts for AI‑driven, data‑backed insights. The technology blends current and historical CRM signals, content usage, and meeting data to surface real‑time account priorities and next‑step recommendations. By...
Nutanix Thinks some Azure Cloud Desktops Belong On-Prem to Make Them Usable
Nutanix announced a hybrid offering that runs Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) on‑premises, promising lower latency for demanding users. The company positions the solution as a game‑changer for enterprises that find Azure Local unsuitable. Nutanix also unveiled support for Cisco’s...
TikTok Ad Chief Khartoon Weiss Leaving For 'New Opportunity'
TikTok’s North American and global brands head Khartoon Weiss announced she will leave the company on April 9, after six years in the role. Weiss had just presented at the NewFronts event, promoting a U.S.-centric ad suite built to satisfy the...
Anthropic Taps Microsoft Azure AI Veteran For Infrastructure Role
Anthropic has appointed Eric Boyd, former Microsoft Azure AI president, as its head of infrastructure. Boyd will oversee scaling the foundation‑model infrastructure that powers Claude and the company’s expanding partner ecosystem. The move follows Anthropic’s $100 million investment in its Claude...
Women Working From Home or on Reduced Hours at Greater Risk of Damaging Their Career
A University of Oxford PhD study of 11,981 British women and 9,829 men (2010‑2024) finds women who adopt flexible work—remote, part‑time, job‑sharing or flexitime—are 19% more likely to shift into non‑professional roles within two years. Men using the same arrangements...
China’s New Trade Front with the World — Services
The country is rapidly moving up the global ranks as an exporter of knowledge-intensive products
Exclusive: McLaren to Reveal Its Future This Summer
McLaren, now owned by Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings after merging with Forseven, will unveil its first new model this summer, marking the first public glimpse of a post‑merger lineup. CYVN has injected roughly $1.9 billion, enabling McLaren to expand beyond two‑seat...
Why Firms’ Responses to Corporate Taxes Differ Across Countries
A new study using administrative tax‑return data from 16 countries provides the first comparable estimates of corporate taxable‑income elasticities. The elasticity ranges from 0.075 to 1.9, averaging 0.79, indicating that a 10% rise in net‑of‑tax rate boosts reported taxable income...
Regulators Rework AML Rules to Prioritize Risk-Based Evaluations
The Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and three banking regulators unveiled a joint proposal to overhaul anti‑money‑laundering (AML) and counter‑terrorist financing rules under the Bank Secrecy Act. The new framework shifts focus from volume‑based paperwork to risk‑based assessments, directing resources...
Trump Says He's Extending the Deadline for Iran by 2 Weeks in Exchange for Immediate Opening of the Strait of...
President Donald Trump announced a two‑week extension of the deadline for a deal with Iran, contingent on the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The conditional ceasefire aims to create space for negotiations that could end the ongoing conflict....
California Bill Would Expand Background Check Restrictions for Employers
California Assembly Bill 2095 seeks to tighten the state’s Fair Chance Act by prohibiting any conviction‑related questions on job applications and requiring employers to disclose specific job duties before conducting background checks. The bill mandates written, good‑faith individualized assessments and...
How Elite Sport and ICU Medicine Plunged Olympian Matt Guest Into Startups
Matt Guest, a former Olympic field‑hockey player and ICU physician, co‑founded Clearwater Wellness to commercialise the SnowCap, a thermoelectric cold‑plunge tub that eliminates the need for ice. After a friends‑and‑family round and an Indiegogo campaign that generated about $460,000 USD in...
LLM-Referred Traffic Converts at 30-40% — and Most Enterprises Aren't Optimizing for It
The rise of AI agents is reshaping web discovery, giving birth to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) where content must be understood and cited by large language models rather than clicked by humans. Enterprises that continue to rely solely on traditional...
Supporting Women in Research Helps Hong Kong’s Gender Equality Push
Gender equality is progressing in Hong Kong, yet women remain under‑represented in medical research, comprising only one‑third of fellows and non‑fellows despite making up half of medical students. The Chinese University of Hong Kong launched the Women in Science and...
From TV Deals to Titles: Why the Big Ten’s Money Machine Is Just Getting Started
The Big Ten Conference leveraged its $7 billion television contract to dominate the 2025‑26 college sports season, capturing national titles in football, women’s basketball and men’s basketball. Michigan’s 69‑63 win over UConn secured the men’s basketball championship, marking the first triple‑title...
Sean Duffy Comments On Airline Mergers: “Trump Loves To See Big Deals”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC that President Trump welcomes large airline mergers, but any deal must clear the Department of Transportation and the Justice Department. He acknowledged ongoing chatter about a “big four” carrier acquiring a smaller airline...
State Dept Recruits New Diplomats, but Plans to Keep Shrinking Its Workforce Next Year
Despite a recent recruitment push, the State Department is set to shrink its diplomatic workforce in FY 2027. Last summer’s layoff notices affected about 1,350 employees, with roughly 250 Foreign Service officers placed on nine‑month paid administrative leave and no plan...
'What's Your RAV4?' Celebrates SUV Built For Every Lifestyle
Toyota introduced the 2026 RAV4, the sixth‑generation model, with an inclusive "What’s Your RAV4?" campaign. The effort highlights individual driver lifestyles and is built for multicultural audiences. Agency partners Saatchi & Saatchi, Burrell Communications, Conill and Intertrend produced a suite of 30‑second...
NSW Council Considers 4-Day Week
Murrumbidgee Council in south‑west New South Wales is evaluating a four‑day work week for its 90 employees to address mounting financial pressures without raising rates. The proposal keeps 35‑hour weekly service delivery Monday‑Thursday, closing offices and libraries on Fridays while...
Wealthspire, Mercer Strike New Deals as RIAs Accelerate Push for Scale and Specialization
Wealthspire’s Fiducient Advisors unit is acquiring Indianapolis‑based Axia Advisory, adding roughly $1.9 billion in retirement‑plan assets and expanding its institutional capabilities. Mercer Advisors is buying New Jersey firm Personal Financial Solutions, bringing about $150 million in client assets and deepening its regional footprint....