In 2023, EY named Janet Truncale as its next chief executive officer. The move was a landmark appointment at the top table of the professional services industry – with none of the Big Four auditing and advisory firms having previously been headed by a woman beyond an interim capacity.

One year on, EY could be about to see the same thing in its UK practice. EY’s UK business is the second-largest firm in its international network, behind the US – and to date, it has never had a woman in its top role. But a shortlist on which two-thirds of the candidates are women suggests this could be about to change.