PwC’s newly appointed UK senior partner Marco Amitrano is considering managing partner Laura Hinton as the leading candidate to head the firm’s Middle East operations, according to a report by the Financial Times. If appointed, Hinton would become the first female leader of a Big Four firm in the region.
The leadership change is expected in June 2026, when Hani Ashkar steps down after more than 12 years at the helm of PwC’s Middle East business. Ashkar will transition into a new global role within the firm, sources told the Financial Times. His tenure was marked by close ties with high-profile clients and a significant rise in regional revenues.
Hinton, a former contender for the UK’s top role, is now considered the frontrunner for the strategically important Middle East position, though no formal decision has been made.
The succession planning follows a turbulent period for PwC in the Gulf region, particularly after a public fallout with Saudi Arabia’s powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF). In February, the PIF imposed a one-year ban on awarding new advisory work to PwC, after the firm reportedly tried to hire Neom’s chief internal audit officer—a move that caused “friction and angst,” according to people familiar with the situation.
PwC had played a significant consulting role in Neom, the $500 billion mega-project spearheaded by the PIF along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. The project was one of several key mandates that had elevated the importance of PwC’s Middle East business, which is integrated with the UK firm and has grown into a key revenue driver amid slower consulting demand in Britain.
Sales in PwC’s Middle East operations jumped 26% in the year to June 2024, contributing nearly one-third of the combined UK and Middle East revenues, which totalled £6.3 billion. The firm has outpaced rivals EY and Deloitte in the region, benefiting from demand for advisory services across oil-rich Gulf nations investing heavily in infrastructure.
However, the consulting boom in Saudi Arabia is showing signs of deceleration. Concerns among Saudi officials over an overreliance on Western consultancy firms have led to a more cautious approach in awarding contracts.
Ashkar’s exit also follows a broader leadership shake-up within PwC’s Middle East operations. According to the Financial Times, other senior figures, including head of assurance Mohamed ElBorno, have recently stepped down.
If Hinton is appointed, it would mark a rare instance of an outsider—particularly a woman—being named to a top leadership post in the Middle East, where business relies heavily on long-standing personal and institutional relationships.
Hinton was one of two women in the final shortlist for PwC UK’s top job last year. Another of her competitors, Hemione Hudson, was assigned to PwC’s China division in the wake of regulatory challenges there, while Marissa Thomas left the firm in February to co-found Unity, a rival consultancy.
PwC UK and Ashkar declined to comment. Hinton did not respond to a request for comment, according to the Financial Times.
