The total is made up of over 600 external hires, over 400 transfers from around PwC’s international network and over 200 cyber security, data and technology graduate recruits.

The new recruits will work across all industry sectors in London and the UK regions helping clients address a broad range of issues, including: cyber security and privacy (including threat and vulnerability management); data (including data management and predictive analytics); business systems (such as SAP, Oracle, treasury) and technology risk and controls (including IT risk and resilience).  

The firm says the current recruitment drive builds on its earlier announcement regarding plans to hire more than 1,000 data scientists to its deals business globally, while it has also made a number of acquisitions designed to strengthen its technology capability such as Praxism, a consultancy specialising in identity and access management.

Hemione Hudson, PwC’s UK head of assurance, said: ‘Business models that have served clients well for decades are being disrupted or destroyed due to the speed of digital disruption, the increase of regulatory scrutiny on technology risks, and the escalation of cyber threat, requiring us to respond and build a strong team of specialists.’

PwC’s UK IT risk assurance practice has created a new graduate recruitment programme for technology which will see cyber security, data and technology graduates embark on a three year programme which includes professional qualifications. The first intake starts this September, and the firm says its aim is to produce the chief information security officers, chief data officers and chief information officers of the future. 

Marc Bena, risk assurance partner at PwC, said: ‘There is a real shortage of technology professionals in the UK. Our vision is to recruit and grow the technology leaders of the future in the same way that we have helped grow generations of finance leaders.’