Big Four auditor Ernst & Young has named the successor to outgoing UK & Ireland managing partner Steve Varley, opting for a 35-year veteran who has played a prominent role in EY’s input to industry reforms.

Hywel Ball, currently UK head of audit, will officially succeed Varley this summer on 1 July, a statement said on 12 March. The outgoing chair will become EY’s first global vice chair for sustainability.