Accenture

Type Public limited company
Traded as NYSE: ACN

(https://www.nyse.com/quote
/XNYS:ACN)
Industry Professional services, technology
services
[1]
Predecessors Andersen Consulting (1989-2001)
Founded 1913
Headquarters Dublin, Ireland
Area served Worldwide
Key people Pierre Nanterme
(Chairman & CEO)
[2][3]
David P. Rowland (CFO)
Jo Deblaere (COO)
Services Management consulting,
technology services, outsourcing
[1]
Revenue
US$ 28.6 billion
[4]
(2013, net)
Operating
income
US$ 4.338 billion (2013)
[5]
Net income
US$ 3.281 billion (2013)
[5]
Total assets
US$ 16.867 billion (2013)
[5]
Total equity
US$ 4.960 billion (2013)
[5]
Employees
293,000 (2014)
[5]
Website www.accenture.com
(http://www.accenture.com/)
Accenture plc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Andersen Consulting)
Accenture plc is a multinational management consulting,
technology services, and outsourcing company.
[1]
Its
incorporated headquarters are in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
It is the world's largest consulting firm as measured by
revenues
[6]
and is a Fortune Global 500 company.
[7]
As of
2013, the company reported net revenues of $28.6 billion
[8]
with approximately 293,000 employees, serving clients in
more than 200 cities in 56 countries.
[5]
Accenture has more
employees in India than any other country; in the US, it has
about 40,000 employees and 35,000 located in the
Philippines.
[9]
Accenture's current clients include 91 of the
Fortune Global 100 and more than three-quarters of the
Fortune Global 500.
[10]
Since September 1, 2009 the
company has been incorporated in Ireland.
[11]
Accenture common equity is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, under the symbol ACN, and was added to the
S&P 500 index on July 5, 2011.
1 History
1.1 Formation and early years
1.2 Splitting from Arthur Andersen
1.3 Emergence of Accenture
1.4 Initial public offering
1.5 Bermuda headquarters
1.6 Ireland headquarters
2 Services and Operations
2.1 Workforces
2.2 Operating Groups
2.3 Growth Platforms
3 Marketing, branding and identity
4 Awards and Honors
5 Notable Recent Projects
6 See also
Accenture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersen_Consulting
1 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
7 References
8 External links
Formation and early years
Accenture began as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur Andersen. The
division's origins are in a 1953 feasibility study for General Electric. GE asked Arthur Andersen to automate
payroll processing and manufacturing at GE's Appliance Park facility near Louisville, Kentucky. Arthur
Andersen recommended installation of a UNIVAC I computer and printer, which resulted in the first
commercially-owned computer installation in the United States in 1954. Joe Glickauf, an early pioneer of
computer consulting,
[12]
held a position as head of Arthur Andersen's administrative services division for 12
years.
Splitting from Arthur Andersen
In 1989, Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting became separate units of Andersen Worldwide Socit
Cooprative (AWSC). Arthur Andersen increased its use of accounting services as a springboard to sign up
clients for Andersen Consulting's more lucrative business.
Throughout the 1990s, there was increasing tension between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen.
Andersen Consulting was upset that it was paying Arthur Andersen up to 15% of its profits each year (a
condition of the 1989 split was that the more profitable unit whether AA or AC paid the other this sum),
while at the same time Arthur Andersen was competing with Andersen Consulting through its own newly
established business consulting service line called Arthur Andersen Business Consulting (AABC). This dispute
came to a head in 1998 when Andersen Consulting claimed breach of contract against AWSC and Arthur
Andersen. Andersen Consulting put the 15% transfer payment for that year and future years into escrow and
issued a claim for breach of contract. In August 2000, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration with the
International Chamber of Commerce, Andersen Consulting broke all contractual ties with AWSC and Arthur
Andersen. As part of the arbitration settlement, Andersen Consulting paid the sum held in escrow (then
$1.2 billion) to Arthur Andersen, and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity being renamed
Accenture.
[13]
Accounts vary on why the split occurred. Executives on both sides of the split cite greed and arrogance on the
part of the other, and executives on the Andersen Consulting side maintained breach of contract when Arthur
Andersen created AABC, because AABC competed directly with Andersen Consulting in the marketplace.
Many of the AABC firms were bought out by other consulting companies in 2002, including Hitachi Consulting
and KPMG Consulting, which later changed its name to BearingPoint.
Andersen Consulting's change of name was fortunate, as it avoided damage to its reputation later, when Arthur
Andersen was effectively dissolved as a result of its role in the Enron scandal.
Emergence of Accenture
On January 1, 2001 Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, "Accenture". The word "Accenture" is
supposedly derived from "Accent on the future". The name "Accenture" was submitted by Kim Petersen, a
2 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
Accenture's banner hanging on the
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
building for its initial public offering
on July 19, 2001.
Danish employee from the company's Oslo, Norway office, as a result of an internal competition. Accenture felt
that the name should represent its will to be a global consulting leader and high performer, and also intended
that the name should not be offensive in any country in which Accenture operates.
[14]
Initial public offering
On July 19, 2001, Accenture offered initial public offering (IPO) at the
price of $14.50 per share in New York Stock Exchange (NYSE);
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley served as its lead underwriters.
Accenture stock closed the day at $15.17, with the day's high at $15.25.
On the first day of the IPO, Accenture raised nearly $1.7 billion.
[15]
Bermuda headquarters
In October 2002, the Congressional General Accounting Office (GAO)
identified Accenture as one of four publicly traded federal contractors
that were incorporated in a tax haven country.
[16]
The other three, unlike
Accenture, were incorporated in the United States before they
re-incorporated in a tax haven country, thereby lowering their U.S. taxes.
Critics, most notably former CNN journalist Lou Dobbs,
[17]
have
reported Accenture's decision to incorporate in Bermuda as a U.S. tax avoidance ploy, because they viewed
Accenture as having been a U.S.-based company.
[18]
The GAO itself did not characterize Accenture as having
been a U.S.-based company; it stated that "prior to incorporating in Bermuda, Accenture was operating as a
series of related partnerships and corporations under the control of its partners through the mechanism of
contracts with a Swiss coordinating entity."
Ireland headquarters
Accenture announced on May 26, 2009 that its Board of Directors unanimously approved changing the
companys place of incorporation to Ireland from Bermuda and would become Accenture plc.
[19]
The company cited several reasons for the change:
Ireland's sophisticated, well-developed corporate, legal and regulatory environment
Ireland's long history of international investment and long-established commercial relationships, trade
agreements and tax treaties with European Union member states, the United States and other countries
where Accenture does business
Ireland's stable political and economic environment with the financial and legal infrastructure to meet
Accenture's needs
The change became effective on September 1, 2009, the beginning of the company's 2010 fiscal year.
While Ireland is the company's headquarters for tax and legal purposes, much of the operational administration
occurs in the United States, mainly New York City and Chicago.
3 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
A worldmap showing the 54 countries
where Accenture has operations as of
2012 (coloured in blue)
Accenture organizes its services and people in these three primary cross-
functional groupings. Accenture client engagement teams typically
consist of a combination of industry experts, capability specialists and
professionals with local market knowledge.
Workforces
The four workforces serve clients in the areas of consulting, technology,
and outsourcing, as well as the company itself. This is almost always an
internal designation as it is common place for Accenture employees to
work in blended teams for a variety of reasons.
Consulting: Focus on management consulting, process design work and the application of technologies to
business. Responsible for sales, delivery, and leadership of most of Accenture's project-based work.
Services: Most focus on outsourcing engagements in the areas of business operations, IT, applications
development and maintenance, help desk services, and HR. As part of some outsourcing deals, clients'
internal teams can be "re-badged" as Accenture employees aligned to this workforce. Sometimes they
work on Consulting projects or as internal Enterprise teams.
Solutions: The Accenture Technology Solutions subsidiary focuses on the specific technology skills
needed to deliver projects or outsourcing arrangements. Comprises the majority of Accenture's employees
in delivery centers in developing countries like Brazil, India, and the Philippines.
Enterprise: Focus on managing and supporting all the activities across Accenture's business, including
legal, security, facilities, marketing, and client financial management.
Operating Groups
As most consulting firms, Accenture operates in a matrix structure. The first axis is dedicated to the operating
groups, or industries of its clients. Broadly, the five Operating Groups are:
Communications, Media & Technology
Financial Services
Products
Resources
Health & Public Services
The five Operating Groups comprises 19 industry subgroups that focus on industry evolution, business issues,
and applicable technologies.
[20]
Growth Platforms
The second axis is the growth platforms, which broadly refers to the functional or technical domains in which
Accenture creates and delivers solutions to clients.
Accenture Strategy was launched in December 2013 to provide services for clients related to business
4 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
strategy, technology strategy and operations strategy.
[21]
Accenture Digital was also launched in December 2013 to provide clients with digital marketing, analytics
and mobility services.
[22]
Technology unifies the full range of Accenture's systems integration, technology consulting, and IT
outsourcing capabilities. Most people in the Services and Solutions work forces are aligned under the
Technology growth platform.
[20]
Accenture Operations focuses on managing specific business processes or functions for clients such as
procurement, HR, finance and accounting, as well as services geared to the needs of specific industries.
Accenture advertises in television, print, and in public places, such as airports, around the world. Beginning in
1999, Accenture has sponsored an international event called the Accenture Match Play Championship, part of
the World Golf Championships, and has done so every year since then.
[23]
The company was parodied in a
webcomic, Bigtime Consulting, by employee James Sanchez from 1999 to 2003. From at least 2005
[24]
until
December 2009, Accenture used Tiger Woods as a celebrity spokesperson and advertised using the service mark
"Go on, be a Tiger" and the ancillary statement "We know what it takes to be a Tiger" in association with
Wood's celebrity image. On December 13, 2009 after details of Woods' extra-marital affairs were exposed, the
company terminated Woods' six-year sponsorship deal.
[25][26]
The current advertising campaign features client
success stories and the slogan, "High performance. Delivered."
The typeface used in the Accenture wordmark is Rotis Semi-sans. The numerical "greater than" symbol over the
t is intended to indicate the company's orientation to the future and their goal of exceeding client
expectations.
[27]
In 2013, the Ethisphere Institute designated Accenture as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for
the 6th time.
[28]
The firm was named by Fortune magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2009, 2010,
2011, 2012 and 2013.
[29][30][31][32][33]
In 2013, the firm was named 9th in the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc.
[34]
In 2013, Corporate Responsibility Magazine named Accenture in the top 25 of their top 100 Best
Corporate Citizens for the third consecutive year.
[35]
In 2014, Accenture has been ranked at 339 in the Fortune Global 2000 list.
[36]
Accenture was chosen to replace CGI Group as the lead contractor for HealthCare.gov in January
2014.
[8]
Accenture was selected as lead contractor of the implementation of the United States Department of
5 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
Homeland Security's biometric identity management program, called US-VISIT, in 2003. The contract was
for ten billion USD over ten years. The program has since had its responsibilities split and reorganized into
different federal departments.
Accenture engaged in a very large and ambitious IT overhaul project for the National Health Service
(NHS) in 2003, making headlines when it withdrew from the contract in 2006 over disputes related to
delays and cost overruns.
[37]
The government of the United Kingdom ultimately abandoned the project 5
years later for the same reasons.
[38]
Accenture top 50 business intellectuals, a 2002 list compiled by Accenture
Avanade, an IT consulting subsidiary of Accenture
Bigtime Consulting, a webcomic parody based on Andersen Consulting, now known as Accenture
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, annual World Golf Championships sponsored by Accenture
^
a

b

c
"About Accenture" (http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/Pages/index.aspx). Retrieved 12 April 2014. 1.
^ "Accenture profile: Pierre Nanterme" (http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/Pages/pierre-
nanterme.aspx). Accenture.com. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
2.
^ "Accenture newsletter: Accenture names CEO" (http://newsroom.accenture.com/news/accenture-names-
ceo-pierre-nanterme-to-additional-position-of-chairman-effective-feb-1-2013.htm). Accenture.com. Retrieved April
19, 2013.
3.
^ "Accenture named lead contractor for Obamacare website" (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business
/accenture-named-lead-contractor-for-obamacare-website_1023271.html?utm_source=ref_article).
Moneycontrol.com. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
4.
^
a

b

c

d

e

f
"Accenture Annual Report" (http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:ACN&fstype=ii). Google.
Retrieved September 2013.
5.
^ "Accenture plc Company Profile - Yahoo Finance" (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/43/43516.html). Retrieved March 13,
2014.
6.
^ "Fortune Global 500 The World's Biggest Companies - Accenture Profile 2011" (http://money.cnn.com
/magazines/fortune/global500/2011/snapshots/11019.html). CNN. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
7.
^
a

b
"Accenture chosen as lead contractor of Obamacare website" (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/accenture-
chosen-lead-contractor-obamacare-website-government-220550193--sector.html). Yahoo!. Retrieved 28 February
2014.
8.
^ Mini Joseph Tejaswi, TNN Jul 18, 2012, 10.17AM IST (2012-07-18). "Accenture in India"
(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-18/job-trends/32730373_1_accenture-india-core-biometric-
identification-system-avinash-vashistha). Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
9.
^ "Accenture: The Growth of a Global Leader" (http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/overview/history/Pages 10.
6 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
/growth-global-leader.aspx). Retrieved February 1, 2012.
^ "Accenture Company Profile on Linkedin" (http://www.linkedin.com/companies/accenture). Retrieved
December 28, 2010.
11.
^ Manya A. Brachear (28 July 2005). "Obituary: Joseph Glickauf Jr. 1912-2005 Computer-consulting pioneer"
(http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-07-28/news/0507280218_1_arthur-andersen-electronic-computer-
ham-radio-operator). Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
12.
^ Martin, Mitchell (August 8, 2000). "Arbitrator's Ruling Goes Against Accounting Arm : Consultants Win Battle
Of Andersen" (http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/08/business/worldbusiness/08iht-consult.2.t.html). The New York
Times (New York City: The New York Times Company). Retrieved March 1, 2014.
13.
^ Andersen Consulting Changing Name To Accenture Oct. 26, 2000 (http://www.informationweek.com
/news/6509708); InformationWeek
14.
^ Accenture IPO gains in first trades Jul. 19, 2001 (http://money.cnn.com/2001/07/19/deals/accenture/index.htm);
CNN Money
15.
^ Information on Federal Contractors That Are Incorporated Offshore (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03194r.pdf);
United States General Accounting Office; October 1, 2002
16.
^ Dobbs, Lou (March 9, 2004). "Exporting America" (http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/09/commentary/dobbs/dobbs
/index.htm). CNN. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
17.
^ [1] (http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2004/accenture_06_01_04.html) 18.
^ "Accenture Newsroom: Accenture Announces Proposed Change of Incorporation to Ireland"
(http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4830). newsroom.accenture.com. May 26, 2009.
Retrieved August 6, 2010.
19.
^
a

b
"Accenture Industries" (http://newsroom.accenture.com/fact+sheet/). Accenture Industries. Retrieved
September 1, 2014.
20.
^ "Analyst Commentary: Accenture's digital push will boost consulting prospects"
(http://www.professionaloutsourcingmagazine.net/newsitems/analyst-commentary-accentures-digital-push-will-
boost-consulting-prospects). Professional Outsourcing Resources. January 3, 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
21.
^ Rayana Pandey (December 5, 2013). "Accenture launches digital marketing capabilities. Should agencies worry?"
(http://www.marketing-interactive.com/accenture-launches-digital-marketing-capabilities-agencies-worry/).
Marketing. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
22.
^ "Accenture Match Play Information Page" (http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r470/). Accenture Match Play
Information Page.
23.
^ Jennifer Pellet (August 1, 2005), Pursuing high performance: chief executives can, in fact, stay ahead of
emerging global competitors. (http://chiefexecutive.net/pursuing-high-performance) (211), Chief Executive
(magazine), p. 66, retrieved October 13, 2013
24.
^ "Accenture cuts Tiger Woods sponsorship deal" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8411091.stm). BBC
News. December 14, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
25.
^ Pulley, Brett (December 11, 2009). "Tiger Woods Disappears From Accenture Web Home Page"
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a5KkXJCY3B1k). Bloomberg. Retrieved August 6,
2010.
26.
^ "accenture: Rebranding for the future" (http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=422X-
MPM0-00JS-91X5&csi=173384&oc=00240&perma=true). BusinessWorld. 8 January 2001. Retrieved 25 June
27.
7 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Accenture.
2013.
^ "WME Honorees" (http://m1.ethisphere.com/wme2013/index.html). ethisphere.com. Ethisphere Institute. 13
March 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
28.
^ "Accenture - Best Companies to Work For 2013 - Fortune" (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-
companies/2013/snapshots/91.html?iid=bc_lp_arrow1). Money.cnn.com. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
29.
^ "Accenture - Best Companies to Work For 2012 - Fortune" (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-
companies/2012/snapshots/92.html?iid=bc_lp_arrow1). Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08
30.
^ "Accenture - Best Companies to Work For 2011 - Fortune" (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune
/bestcompanies/2011/snapshots/99.html). Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08
31.
32.
33.
^ "Accenture: No. 9 in the DiversityInc Top 50" (http://www.diversityinc.com/accenture/). DiversityInc.
2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
34.
^ "CRs 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2013" (http://www.thecro.com/files/100Best2013_web.pdf). Corporate
Responsibility Magazine. 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
35.
^ "Accenture #339 on the Forbes Global 2000 List" (http://www.forbes.com/companies/accenture/). Forbes.
2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
36.
^ "Accenture to quit NHS technology overhaul" (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/sep
/28/news.business). The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
37.
^ "NHS pulls the plug on its 11bn IT system" (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-
news/nhs-pulls-the-plug-on-its-11bn-it-system-2330906.html). The Independent. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
38.
Official website (http://www.accenture.com)
Business data for Accenture plc: Hoover's
(http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-
profile.Accenture_plc.93039dbf894c9c88.html) Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks
/overview?symbol=ACN) SEC filings (http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&
CIK=1467373)
Accenture companies (http://opencorporates.com/corporate_groupings/Accenture) grouped at
OpenCorporates
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Accenture&oldid=623705685"
Categories: Accenture Call centre companies Companies established in 1989
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Companies of Ireland
Information technology consulting firms of Ireland International information technology consulting firms
8 of 9 9/7/2014 8:47 PM
International management consulting firms
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Type Public limited company

Traded as NYSE: ACN

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