EY announced it plans to double the size of its UK and Ireland (UK&I) consulting practice in the next four years, backed by £75 million of investment.

More than half of the new roles will be based outside of London in cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham.

This is in addition to the £95 million the firm has invested in its consulting practice since 2020.

The growth plans will see EY Consulting in the UK and Ireland increase its headcount from 5,100 to around 10,200 people by 2026.

To fuel the growth plans, EY will be recruiting across all levels, from partner level through to graduates and school leavers.

“The expansion is being fuelled by increasing demand from clients implementing large scale, strategic transformation programmes, enabled by technology, data, and people,” said EY.

Alison Kay, EY UK&I Managing Partner for Client Service, said: “In recent years, organisations in both the public and private sector have been grappling with a convergence of challenges, from the global pandemic, climate change, geo-political uncertainty, and operating in a post Brexit world.

“At EY, we are investing heavily to upskill and expand our workforce, to meet the demand from businesses embarking on transformation projects, to ensure they remain competitive, keep pace with change, and navigate ongoing market challenges.”

Benoit Laclau, Managing Partner for Consulting at EY in the UK & Ireland, said: “Our clients are looking for deep technical support to help transform their businesses and future-proof their strategy.

“This typically involves the implementation of new technology and often large-scale cultural change across their organisation.

“The strong market demand for Consulting services is giving us confidence to invest at scale – £95m so far and £75m planned this year alone – and to grow our headcount.

“There is real competition in the labour market for top talent, and we are proud of the progress we have made to date.

“We aim to recruit diverse talent across the UK & Ireland, regardless of where they are based, promoting flexible and hybrid working to attract talented individuals.”