Financial Due Diligence Director

Why autonomous finance won't be built alone. Published September 24, 2026, 1:03 p.m. EDT Not long ago, finance leaders were asking whether AI belonged in finance at all. Today the question has shifted: How can they deploy it in ways they can actually trust? This Q&A offers insights from a conversation with David Yue, co-founder and CEO at Accordance, on the opportunity AI presents to accountants and why... Chief partner officer Mekaela Davis is chief partner officer at Trintech and a former managing director and alliance director at Grant Thornton.

Gravita appoints Chris Hawes as first head of ethics. Former Grant Thornton lead Chris Hawes joins Gravita to head its expanding quality and risk function Quick Poll What is your biggest focus right now? One click - no sign-up All data is anonymised. Polling helps Accountancy Group better understand the Accountancy Today audience and tailor its editorial. Select a subscription plan. Gravita has appointed Chris Hawes as its first head of ethics, creating a dedicated role covering ethics and independence as the accountancy and advisory firm continues to expand. Hawes joins from Grant Thornton, where he led on technical ethics matters and brings 18 years of experience to the role. He has also worked through major revisions to the FRC Ethical Standard. He will join Gravita's five-strong quality and risk team and report to Ian Cokayne, chief legal and risk officer. His remit will cover the firm's approach to ethics and independence, including requirements relating to its public interest entity audit work. This will include the services provided by the firm, its relationships with clients and the personal financial interests of its people. The appointment comes after a period of expansion for Gravita, which has been backed by private equity investor Tenzing and has added seven firms to its business since 2022. The firm now has around 500 employees across offices in London, Oxford, Essex, Bristol and Exeter. Nearly 1,000 new clients joined Gravita last year. Hawes will focus on strengthening internal guidance and training, with the aim of helping employees make decisions on ethical matters and identify when additional support is required. He will also work on systems to identify ethics and independence threats at an early stage. Lisa Mayhew, chief executive of Gravita, said: "A dedicated ethics role is unusual for a firm of its size, where responsibility for ethics is more commonly held alongside a wider risk or compliance remit, so creating one is a deliberate choice on its part. "Gravita has built real momentum over the past few years and the firms and colleagues joining us expect the same standards of quality and independence that our clients do. As we continue to grow, Chris's experience will help us to maintain those standards while building the infrastructure we need for the future." Hawes added: "Ethics and independence are not simply regulatory requirements. They are fundamental to the confidence that clients and the wider public place in our work. What drew me to Gravita is the chance to make a real difference at a firm with genuine ambition. Having worked in much larger firms, I know both what good looks like and where legacy systems slow firms down, so the opportunity here is to combine the two and build something effective that is designed to scale." Published: 2m ago

Grant Thornton launches first-of-its-kind Enterprise Assurance Services practice ― including certifications for AIUC-1 and ISO. September 23, 2026 Integrated delivery model spans specialized assurance solutions for emerging areas such as risk, technology, sustainability and trust CHICAGO - The audit and assurance firm of Grant Thornton in the U.S., Grant Thornton LLP, announced that it has launched an Enterprise Assurance Services practice. This first-of-its-kind team brings together a broad portfolio of specialized assurance offerings under a single delivery model ― one that addresses growing client demand for third-party assurance across emerging areas such as risk, technology, sustainability and trust. Among its offerings, the practice includes provisional accreditation to support AIUC-1 certification, designed to provide third-party assurance over agentic artificial intelligence (AI) systems and controls. It also includes ISO certification, which helps organizations strengthen information security programs, meet compliance requirements and enhance stakeholder confidence. In addition, the practice unites several capabilities within a dedicated organization focused exclusively on specialized assurance offerings, including SOC services, employee benefit plan audits, sustainability reporting and assurance, and finance and transaction-focused attestation. Unlike traditional models that see professionals splitting their responsibilities across service lines, Grant Thornton's new practice is built around subject matter experts who can uniformly deliver specialized services, provide clients with deeper technical expertise and create a more consistent experience. The practice is backed by team members from firms on the Grant Thornton multinational platform equipped with proprietary technology and a coordinated, enterprise-wide delivery model that provides clients with proven quality, practical insights and greater confidence in the information they share with the market. "The demands on organizations today look very different than they did even a few years ago," said Ron Messenger, CEO of Grant Thornton LLP. "From high-growth startups to global Fortune 500 companies, our clients are navigating new technologies, new risks and growing expectations for transparency. Enterprise Assurance Services is designed to help them meet that reality, combining specialized expertise and cross-border capabilities to help organizations build trust, improve reporting and adapt to a rapidly changing environment." A new model for assurance. Nicole Julius, national managing partner of Enterprise Assurance Services at Grant Thornton LLP, stressed the new practice is designed to simplify the delivery of non-financial statement assurance services while providing clients with access to a full array of specialized capabilities through a unified delivery model. "Many organizations are looking for a single provider that can support a wide spectrum of assurance needs, rather than managing multiple firms, methodologies and reporting processes," said Julius. "Few firms have assembled this breadth of expertise under a single platform. By integrating these offerings, we're helping clients streamline compliance, reduce duplication and work with one proven team as their needs continue to evolve." Julius added that the new practice reflects Grant Thornton's vision for the future: "Our clients' needs don't stand still, and neither do we. Our dedicated professionals are staying well ahead of what's coming rather than relying solely on what works today. And by actively participating in leading industry, standard-setting and regulatory organizations, we're helping shape the frameworks, guidance and methodologies businesses rely on to build trust and demonstrate compliance." The launch of Enterprise Assurance Services represents the next step in Grant Thornton's continued commitment to evolving its offerings in line with the marketplace. By expanding its capabilities across emerging areas such as AI assurance and ISO certifications, the practice positions the firm to serve a broader range of client needs while continuing to deliver the quality, rigor and expertise that define Grant Thornton's approach to audit and assurance services. Grant Thornton's full slate of Enterprise Assurance Services offerings includes: * Strategic Assurance & SOC Services, including SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, SOC for supply chain, cybersecurity and other attestation services, along with HITRUST certifications. * Employee Benefit Plan Audits, delivered through a nationally coordinated team with experience across all plan types. * Sustainability Assurance & Advisory, including assurance over voluntary environmental, social and governance (ESG) and statutory sustainability requirements such as the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and support for evolving regulatory and reporting requirements. * Structured Finance & Transaction-focused Attestation, providing investor-focused assurance over structured products and compliance services. * AIUC-1 certification services, helping organizations demonstrate third-party validation of controls governing agentic AI risks and enhance confidence in AI-enabled operations. * ISO certification services, providing third-party certification that helps organizations demonstrate compliance, strengthen management systems and reinforce credibility with customers and stakeholders. About Grant Thornton in the U.S. Grant Thornton delivers professional services in the U.S. through two specialized entities and their affiliates: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services - and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services. Grant Thornton LLP, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and their respective subsidiaries operate as an alternative practice structure (APS). The APS conforms with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards, including those from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "Grant Thornton" refers to the brand under which the member firms in the Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) network provide services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms. Grant Thornton LLP and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC serve as the U.S. member firms of the GTIL network. GTIL and its member firms are not a worldwide partnership and all member firms are separate legal entities. Member firms deliver all services; GTIL does not provide services to clients. About the Grant Thornton Advisors multinational platform The Grant Thornton Advisors multinational platform is a group of firms within the Grant Thornton International Limited network* that connects priority markets and operates with aligned standards, technology and delivery expectations. The platform is currently home to almost 20 aligned firms stretching from the Americas across Europe and the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region. These firms bring together more than 25,000 professionals to deliver cross-border solutions powered by advanced technologies, a shared commitment to quality and a growing reputation as the industry's employer-of-choice. The platform firms operate as separate legal entities. *The Grant Thornton International Limited network provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.