Despite That, He Remains Optimistic About the Profession's Future

PwC's US CEO Paul Griggs says he would encourage his three children to pursue consulting careers, even as the Big Four firm hires fewer accountants and consultants. Griggs told Business Insider that PwC brought on fewer consultants and accountants this year than two years ago, a trend he expects to continue as the firm shifts toward data scientists, engineers, and machine learning experts. Despite that, he remains optimistic about the profession's future.

Two of his kids may enter accounting, and he supports that path. Griggs pointed to PwC's 2026 AI Jobs Barometer report, which analyzed over a billion job postings and found professional services roles among the fastest-evolving. Jobs requiring more human expertise are growing twice as fast as those where AI simplifies tasks, with wages in those roles rising 42% faster since 2021. He said AI creates value that drives growth and demand, noting PwC's strongest new-business pipeline in its history.

"I think this is the biggest opportunity we've ever had, he said. Griggs believes AI amplifies the need for broad knowledge, so PwC is hiring more liberal arts majors. He's a "big believer" in master's degrees and would support his kids pursuing MB As, which he says cultivate curiosity and continuous learning. PwC plans to keep recruiting from MBA programs and partners with universities, including a Harvard Business School leadership program called RevUp and an AI training initiative at Wharton with professor Ethan Mollick."