Audit to Corporate Finance at the Big 4 accounting firms | What you NEED to know

What are the most common moves from audit to the corporate finance division, at the Big 4 accountancy firms. In this video I go through them all.

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📝Brief script:
A lot of auditors want to move across and join the corporate finance division in the big 4. I’ve worked in the corporate finance division from the start of my career and I’ve been asked several times by auditors about what life is like in corporate finance and how they can make the switch over to the department. In this video I’m going to go over the different moves auditors make into CF and discuss some of the important things you need to keep in mind if you are considering this move as well.

A lot of auditors I know and have spoken to believe that corporate finance roles are more forward looking and more strategic in nature. They’re keen to move into more of a consultant role, influencing the decision making process at their client’s firms and helping them to achieve key objectives for the business.

Another piece of feedback I’ve got is that a lot of auditors work for the same clients year in year out, which can get monotonous. Working in CF, you work with different clients on most deals so there are different personalities you get to interact with during each engagement.

One of the main teams in the Corporate Finance division is the M&A team. This team helps clients in the buying and selling of companies and They provide advice on various different aspects of the transaction. When they are helping to sell a business, they will source potential buyers, write the information memorandum document, Market the business, manage the Q&A process during the entire deal and perform various other tasks.

Another Important team in the corporate finance division is the due diligence team. they aim to verify the facts that the seller has stated in relation to the company. they will investigate various aspects of the business being sold including its financial accounts, contracts, pipeline of work, forecasts, among other things. They can also look at commercial and strategic aspects of the business being sold.

For Auditors moving across to corporate finance, the easiest Transition is into a due diligence team. It's a popular transition for someone with an audit background to make because in both departments you need a very good understanding of how financial statements are constructed and in Both roles you'll be required to identify financial risks.

One of the most sought-after moves by auditors is into the M&A team. speaking to a few auditor friends of mine they consider it as a really exciting and fast-paced Environment to work in. Working in audit they don't really dive deep into the commercials off Their clients Business and largely have a focus on historical performance.

A very Common way for individuals with audit backgrounds to join the M&A team is via working in the due diligence team for a period of time first, so using the DD role as a stepping stone. Being part of the DD team, you get to experience a deal process and understand the workings of transactions. You begin to think more commercially than in audit and start to build very strong analytical skills which are required for working in the M&A team. Having 2 or 3 years experience working in the DD team put you in a very good position to apply for a M&A role.

🤔 The video provides answers to the following questions:
How to move from audit to corporate finance at a big 4 accounting firm
What is the move from audit to corporate finance like
What are the exit options for auditors at the big 4 accounting firms

[oscarchen]

Thank you! This video was never recommended to me and I had to go through my subscription one by one just to find it

[kentrobertsson]

I started in audit and moved into M&A - lead advisory at EY. It required me to network with professionals in the M&A team as well as some luck!

[bethchilds]

Thank you! I really enjoy your videos they’re very helpful.

[muskannarang]

Really helpful video, would love to see more of it specially modelling

[TheChannelOfBeast]

Excellent video! I’m current studying to become a chartered accountant (ACA) in a varied accountancy role (audit/accounts/tax) and the move over to CF really interests me.

[andreadefilippo]

Do auditors realistically move into Corporate Finance? I have a bachelor's in business admin and a master's in economics and finance, and I'm unsure where to start. Just graduated. Your opinion?

[hardikdhiman]

Please make a video on exit opportunities for audit professionals of big 4

[bassemmneimne]

Can you cover more about what Infrastructure Advisory does in TAS?

I know mostly TAS they do Financial Due Dillegence, while the corporate finance team is the deals team, doing more IB work.

However, in infrastructure you rarely have this separation and the team it's self is taking lead advisory.

Why not this distinction in Infrastructure Advisory at the big 4? And what is the general work they do in Infrastructure Advisory?

[РоманХудяков-юк]

Is it really that easy to move from DD to M&A?

[khadijamasood]

Would like to know about independence compliance and ethics . Also about other top companies after big 4 like Grant Thornton

[FinanceUnboxed]

Hope you found this video informative! I'll be making another video about this topic, where I'll go over how auditors can make the move to Corp. Finance.

Timestamps:
01:31 Why auditors look to move into Corp. Fin.
02:52 The different teams in Corp. Fin
05:55 The easiest transition to Corp. Fin for auditors
07:02 The most sought after role in Corp. Fin

[kudagaza]

What about moving from the Financial Crime Unit to M & A.

[Alexandra-kmuu]

Thank you for the video! Is there any way to transfer from Financial Services Audit to M&A within the same big 4 before qualifying (after a year for example)

[SL-mcry]

Hey, I enjoyed your video what about moving from a deals strategy and operations (integration) team to just ‘pure’ M&A? (Not sure if that’s the correct wording) is that an easy move after getting some experience in the integration team?

[mowiththeflow]

I am wondering if the Auditor maintains the title when he/ she moves to the DD Team. For example, if he/ she is a senior will they also move in as a senior in the DD team or if they'll have to start as an analyst all over?

[michaelefstration]

Best way to move from tax to valuation? I’m at one of the big 4 and just about two years in and have audit experience. Suggested firms?

[MnyStLrs]

is it hard for someone majoring accounting to start as due diligence instead of audit?

[kiki]

Thank you for the video!
I have a question, which team will be working on:
1- Trading/ stocks market
2- client personal finance/ wealth management
3-Venture capital valuation and raising capital

[omarr]

Thank you!
Is moving from Big 4 CF to Private equity possible?!

[HtheKing]

Would the ACA qualification be helpful in exit opportunities from deal advisory or would a CFA be better?