PwC wants to move on from its tax scandal. 

Kevin Burrowes, the CEO of PwC Australia, has expressed optimism about the firm's future and its capability to rebuild trust and refocus on core business strengths.

After PwC staff was shown exploiting confidential information to assist clients in evading taxes, the company has faced harsh repercussions. 

It has since been barred from lucrative federal contracts and seen the divestiture of its substantial public sector consulting wing.

Burrowes, who was appointed last year amidst the fallout, has acknowledged the long road ahead for restoring PwC's image. 

“If I felt we were not making enough progress around [delivering on PwC’s commitments to change], then it wouldn’t have been the time to look at a new strategy and rebuild the brand,” Burrowes has told the AFR.

PwC has been running a strategic overhaul called ‘Our Commitment to Reinvent’ after an internal review led by Ziggy Switkowski. 

The strategy outlines a leaner operation, focusing on auditing, tax advice, deals, and growth in emergent areas such as artificial intelligence and the transition to net-zero emissions.

But several investigations by Australian regulatory bodies and the lingering distrust within federal parliament and among the public show PwC’s image will be hard to change. 

Contention remains around PwC International’s refusal to release a report on the scandal, despite pressure from the Australian Senate.

Burrowes has denied that PwC markets aggressive tax schemes today, positioning the firm predominantly within the bounds of compliance.

Analysts say the company will have about 650 partners by year-end, down from about 900 in mid-2023, and about 680 staff redundancies over the past year.