The deal between Glasgow and the London-based firm, which employs more than 140,000 people in 140 countries, was announced at a special ceremony in the Scottish city that also marked the official opening of Ernst & Young's state of the art offices at G1 in George Square in central Glasgow.

The event in George Square was attend by a group including Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Robert Smith (pictured left), the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond (pictured second from left), Ernst & Young's Glasgow office managing partner Douglas Nisbet (pictured right) and Scottish Commonwealth Games medallist Lee McConnell (pictured second from right).

The deal means that Ernst & Young follow Scottish law firm Harper Macleod and recruitment agency Search Consultancy as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2014 competition, with all three signing Tier Two deals.

"Ernst & Young is a fantastic addition to the Glasgow 2014 family, and bring with them unparalleled expertise in professional services," said Lord Smith.

"By becoming an official supporter for the Games, they have made a strong statement of their support for this country by investing in what will be a truly outstanding Games."

The announcement is particularly significant for the firm because Arthur Young, born in 1863 in Glasgow and educated at Glasgow University, established Arthur Young & Company before it merged with Ernst & Whinney in 1989 to create Ernst & Young.

"I'm delighted to welcome Ernst & Young as the third official supporter of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games announced in as many weeks," said Salmond.

"One of Ernst & Young's founders - Arthur Young - was born in Glasgow and it is fitting that the firm will now help bring this fantastic sporting event to his home city.

"The involvement of this major international company is a significant step forward for the Games, and its support, alongside that of the other sponsors, will help ensure that we see a fantastic Games delivered on time and on budget."

As part of this deal, Ernst & Young has committed to providing access to key individuals with multi-Games experience.

Their team will be headed by Stephen Farrell, Commonwealth partner at Ernst & Young in Scotland, and will include David Leather, a partner at the firm who was the deputy chief executive at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

"We are extremely proud to be the first global business to pledge its support for Glasgow 2014 and believe our heritage, our history and our position at the heart of the city makes us a natural partner for the Games," said Nisbet.

"Our aim of creating a sustainable legacy for our Scottish practice, underlined by the investment in our new office, mirrors the goals of the Games' organisers.

"We are committed to providing Glasgow 2014 with world-class professional services support as we work together to achieve those goals and deliver a successful Games that Glasgow and Scotland can be proud of."

The deal marks a busy period for Ernst & Young as the company signed up to become the first Tier Two sponsors of the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month.

Among other major events that Ernst & Young is currently involved in include the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi, where they are the also the consulting partners, while at London 2012 they were among the firms responsible for the establishment of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

They have also previously worked on the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

"I am delighted that a global company with historical connections to Glasgow is going to play such an important role in the Games," added Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council.

"The expertise of Ernst & Young in a number of key areas will help ensure that Glasgow 2014 is an outstanding success."

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