The Auditor ― Quo Vadis (Where To)?

The audit profession is at a tipping point. Without significant innovation in its business model, staff recruitment strategies and audit execution processes, the audit profession may not remain relevant in the 21^st century. The number of claims against auditors has significantly increased over the past twenty years due to the spate of corporate and audit failures early in the 21^st century (Enron, Worldcom, Parmalat, etc). Regulation to monitor professional and ethical standards have increased, leading firms to feel under even more financial pressure. In addition, the investor community is calling for greater insight and foresight from auditors. These challenges, coupled with the unlimited liability regime of auditors still applicable in many jurisdictions, are making audit firms and regulators nervous as to the systemic risk of another one of the Big 4 failing.

And yet, the audit profession is in place to protect businesses, their wider stakeholder groups, including clients and investors, and society at large. Therefore, this book asks the important question about the profession’s future and engages a broad readership in the discussion of audit failure and reform.

Intended to help readers to get up to speed with the issues and possible solutions quickly, this book assists directors, investors, business people and regulators, especially those with a non-financial background, to gain a greater understanding of the challenges and threats being faced by the audit profession, which in turn could disrupt the capital market and affect businesses across the globe. The book outlines the critical success factors needed for a sustainable audit profession.

Mervyn King consults and advises on corporate legal issues. He is recognised internationally as an expert on corporate governance and sustainability. He sits as an arbitrator and as a mediator. He is a founding member of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa and for some eight years was the South African judge at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. He has acted as an Inspector of Companies and a Commissioner of Inquiries into the affairs of companies. He is a regular speaker on radio and television talk shows and ran his own television series, "King on Governance".

Linda de Beer is an independent non-executive director, serving on the boards of a number of listed companies. She is a Chartered Accountant SA, a Chartered Director SA, holds a Master’s degree in taxation and is an honorary professor (professor in practice) by the University of Johannesburg. She provides reporting and corporate governance advice to various corporates, does mediation on technical reporting, auditing and corporate governance matters, facilitates training and performs expert witness work on accounting and audit matters.