Deloitte is the firm with the most influence in the UK's top boardrooms, moving ahead of rival PricewaterhouseCoopers with which it drew last year (see pie chart). Changes in the constituents of the FTSE 100 and the amalgamation of many Andersen partners into the firm have helped to boost its influence.

The change also reflects Deloitte's growth, partly as a result of its integration of Andersen's former UK business. PwC is still the UK's largest firm in terms of reported fee income, but that too is a crown it risks losing to Deloitte, which last year reported annual fee income of 1.228bn, not far behind PwC's 1.485bn.

Ian Kruger, senior client partner at Deloitte, commented: 'We are delighted that our alumni are doing so well.' Meanwhile, Rodger Hughes, PwC's UK managing partner, clients and markets, said that such a result at any one time would be down to the 'luck of the draw'.