Accenture plc

Type Public limited company

Traded as NYSE: ACN

(http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/quickquote.html?

ticker=acn)

Industry Management consulting

Technology services

Outsourcing

Founded 1989 as Andersen Consulting

2001 as Accenture

Headquarters Dublin, Leinster, Republic of Ireland

Area served Worldwide

Key people William Green (Chairman)

Pierre Nanterme (CEO)

Revenue US$ 21.6 billion (2010)[1]

Operating

income

US$ 2.914 billion (2010)[1]

Net income US$ 1.780 billion (2010)[1]

Total assets US$ 12.835 billion (2010)[1]

Total equity US$ 2.835 billion (2010)[1]

Employees 225,000 (June 2011)

Website Accenture.com (http://www.accenture.com)

AccentureFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN

(http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/quickquote.html?ticker=acn) ) is a global management consulting, technologyconsulting and technology outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest

consulting firm in the world[2] and is a Fortune Global 500 company.[3] As of January 2011, the company had

more than 225,000 employees across 120 countries.[2][4] Accenture's current clients include 96 of the FortuneGlobal 100 and more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500. Previously incorporated in the USA, then in

Bermuda, since September 1, 2009 the company has been incorporated in Ireland.[5]

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, the company generated net revenues of US$23.09 billion.[1][4] Theoperating profit of the company was $2.91 billion in FY2010, an increase of 10.2% over FY2009. Its net profitwas $1.78 billion in FY2010, an increase of 12% over FY2009.

Accenture is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the S&P 500.

Contents

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 Marketing and Branding

3 Organization

4 Subsidiaries5 Services

5.1 Operating Groups5.2 Growth Platforms

6 Leadership7 See also

8 References9 External links

History

Formation and early years

Accenture originated as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur Andersen. Thedivision's origins are in a 1953 feasibility study for General Electric. GE asked Arthur Andersen to automate payrollprocessing and manufacturing at GE's Appliance Park facility near Louisville, Kentucky. Arthur Andersenrecommended installation of a UNIVAC I computer and printer, which resulted in the first commercially ownedcomputer installation in the United States in 1954. Joe Glickauf was Arthur Andersen's project leader responsiblefor the payroll processing automation project. Now considered to be the father of computer consulting, Glickaufheaded Arthur Andersen's Administrative Services division for 10 years.

Splitting from Arthur Andersen

In 1989, that division split from Arthur Andersen and began using the name Andersen Consulting. Both Arthur

Andersen and Andersen Consulting consisted of groups of locally-owned independent partnerships and otherentities around the world, each in a contractual agreement with Andersen Worldwide Société Coopérative(AWSC), a Swiss administrative entity.

By 2000, Andersen Consulting had achieved net revenues exceeding US$9.5 billion and had more than 75,000

employees in 46 countries,[6] whereas Arthur Andersen had revenues of US$9.3 billion with over 85,000worldwide in 2001.

Through the 1990s there was increasing tension between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen. AndersenConsulting was upset that it was paying Arthur Andersen up to 15% of its profits each year (a condition of the1989 split was that the more profitable unit – AA or AC – paid the other this sum), while at the same time ArthurAndersen was competing with Andersen Consulting through its own newly established business consulting serviceline called Arthur Andersen Business Consulting. This dispute came to a head in 1998 when Andersen Consultingclaimed breach of contract against AWSC and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting put the 15% transferpayment for that year and future years into escrow and issued a claim for breach of contract. In August 2000, as aresult of a conclusion of the International Chamber of Commerce, Andersen Consulting broke all contractual tieswith AWSC and Arthur Andersen. As part of the arbitration settlement, Andersen Consulting paid the sum held inescrow (then $1.2 billion) to Arthur Andersen, and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity beingrenamed Accenture.

Perhaps most telling about who had "won" the decision was that four hours after the arbitrator made his ruling,Arthur Andersen CEO Jim Wadia suddenly resigned. Industry analysts and business school professors alike viewed

the event as a complete victory for Andersen Consulting.[7] Jim Wadia would provide insight on his resignationyears later at a Harvard Business school case activity about the split. It turned out that the Arthur Andersen boardpassed a resolution saying he had to resign if he didn't get at least an incremental $4 billion (either throughnegotiation or via the arbitrator decision) for the consulting practice to split off; hence his quick resignation once the

decision was announced.[citation needed]

Accounts vary on why the split occurred – executives on both sides of the split cite greed and arrogance on the partof the other side, and executives on the Andersen Consulting side maintained breach of contract when ArthurAndersen created a second consulting group, AABC (Arthur Andersen Business Consulting) which began tocompete directly with Andersen Consulting in the marketplace. Many of the AABC firms were bought out by otherconsulting companies in 2002, most notably, Hitachi Consulting and KPMG Consulting, which later changed itsname to BearingPoint.

Andersen Consulting's change of name proved to be fortuitous as it avoided the taint when Arthur Andersen waseffectively dissolved as a result of its role in the later Enron scandal.

Emergence of Accenture

On January 1, 2001 Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, "Accenture". The word "Accenture" issupposedly derived from "Accent on the future". Although a marketing consultancy was tasked with finding a newname for the company, the name "Accenture" was submitted by Kim Petersen, a Danish employee from thecompany's Oslo, Norway office, as a result of an internal competition. Accenture felt that the name shouldrepresent 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.[citation needed]

Accenture's banner hanging on New

York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

building for its initial public offering

on July 19, 2001.

Initial Public Offering

On July 19, 2001, Accenture offered initial public offering (IPO) at theprice 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.[8]

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.[9] The other three, unlikeAccenture, 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,[10] havepanned Accenture's incorporation in Bermuda because they viewed

Accenture as having been a U.S.-based company trying to avoid U.S. taxes.[11] The GAO itself did notcharacterize 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 partnersthrough 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 company’s

place of incorporation to Ireland from Bermuda and would become Accenture plc.[12]

The company cited several reasons for the change:

Ireland's sophisticated, well-developed corporate, legal and regulatory environmentIreland'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 businessIreland's stable political and economic environment with the financial and legal infrastructure to meet

Accenture's needs

The change was approved and became effective on September 1, 2009, the beginning of the company's 2010 fiscalyear.

While Ireland is the company's headquarters for tax and legal purposes, much of the administration occurs in theUnited States, mainly New York City and Chicago.

Marketing and Branding

Accenture advertises in television, print, and in public places, such as airports, around the world. Previous

marketing campaigns have featured slogans such as "Now it gets interesting.", replaced in 2002, and "Innovationdelivered.", replaced in 2004. The current slogan is "High performance. Delivered."

Accenture has sponsored an international event called the Accenture Match Play Championship, part of the World

Golf Championships, every year since 1999[13] .

Until December 2009, Tiger Woods had been a celebrity spokesperson for the company, whose advertising usedthe service mark "Go on, be a Tiger" and the ancillary statement "We know what it takes to be a Tiger." Thecompany terminated Tiger Woods' six-year sponsorship deal on December 13, 2009 and removed references to

Woods from its website, after details of Woods's extra-marital affairs exploded in the media .[14][15]

The current advertising campaign features animals performing interesting feats as a metaphor for clients achievinghigh performance.

The typeface used in the Accenture wordmark is Rotis Semi-sans. The right-pointing caret character over the t is

intended to indicate the company's orientation to the future.[citation needed] The character is similar to an accentmark in music.

Organization

The majority of Accenture employees are organized in one of four "workforces", each of which serves a differentfunction in the company. The specifics differ by workforce but it is commonplace for Accenture employees to workin blended teams for a variety of reasons.

Consulting: Focus on business 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.Contains Accenture Technology Labs. Levels are Analyst to Senior Executive.

Services: Most focus on outsourcing engagements in the areas of business operations, IT, applications

development and maintenance, help desk services, and HR. Can also work on Consulting-led projects.Contains the Accenture National Security Services subsidiary which primarily services to US

government entities. Levels are H through A (reverse alphabetical order, lowest to highest) and Senior

Executive.

Solutions: The Accenture Technology Solutions subsidiary focuses on the specific technology skillsneeded 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. Levels are

Programmer to Senior Executive, with slight regional variations.

Enterprise: Focus on managing and supporting all activities across Accenture's business, including legal,security, facilities, marketing, and client financial management. Levels are Junior Assistant to Senior

Executive.

Other: Comprises subsidiaries like Avanade and Digiplug as described below.

Subsidiaries

Coritel BPM is the Spanish subsidiary of Accenture for software development and outsourcing. It was

founded in 1984 and currently has 6,500 employees.

An Accenture building at Reston

Town Center

Avanade began as a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture but is now well over 80% owned

by Accenture. It provides IT consulting services and solutionsfor the Microsoft software platform.

Navitaire is a subsidiary of Accenture providing specialized

solutions to airlines.

Accenture National Security Services is a subsidiary ofAccenture that provides services directly to United States

government in the national security space. Its customers

include the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security,Justice, and other agencies that focus on national defense and

law enforcement. This Accenture subsidiary was specifically

incorporated as a US subsidiary to meet a congressional mandate that defense contractors be based in

the United States.Accenture Defense Group is a subsidiary of Accenture providing document management services,

information technology software systems, and business process improvement strategies. Clients are

multinational governments, government suppliers of "WarFighter" goods and services, corporations, and

also include transnational organizations such as the European Space Agency.[16][17]

Accenture Technology Solutions is a subsidiary of Accenture providing deep technology

skills[citation needed] to clients and comprises the entire Solutions workforce. They have a presence in

the US as well as highly skilled lower cost countries like India, The Philippines and Romania where theywork in Accenture Delivery Centers.

Accenture SAP Solutions is a subsidiary of Accenture providing SAP computer software to clients,

created with former Coritel BPM SAP resources.

Digiplug is a subsidiary of Accenture, providing digital supply chain solutions to the entertainmentindustry. Based in France and founded in 1998, Digiplug supplies music and video manufacturing and

delivery services to major music labels as well as wireless carriers and mobile terminal device

manufacturers around the world.Accenture Mobility Operated Services is a subsidiary of Accenture which helps enterprises develop

and deploy new revenue-generating mobile applications.

Accenture Interactive is a subsidiary of Accenture which supposedly "helps companies develop

world-class digital marketing capabilities and optimize their marketing investments".[citation needed]

Services

As most consulting firms, the Consulting workforce operates in a matrix structure. The first axis is dedicated to theoperating groups, or industries of its clients. The second axis is the growth platforms, which broadly refers to thefunctional or technical domains in which Accenture specializes. Client engagement teams typically consist of acombination of industry experts, capability specialists and professionals with local market knowledge.

Operating Groups

The five operating groups comprise 19 industry groups.[18]

Communications & High Tech: Communications, Electronics and High Tech, Media andEntertainment

Financial Services: Banking, Capital Markets, Insurance

Products: Automotive, Air, Freight & Travel Services, Consumer Goods & Services, Industrial

Equipment, Infrastructure & Transportation Services, Life Sciences, Retail

Resources: Chemicals, Energy, Natural Resources, Utilities

Health & Public Service: Health, Public Service

Growth Platforms

The growth platforms comprise the domain-specific workgroups in which most of Accenture's client-facing peoplespecialize their skills, develop and use Accenture's methodology, and create and deliver solutions to clients. Most

people in the Services and Solutions workforces are aligned under the Technology growth platform.[18]

Management Consulting: This growth platform is focused on business solutions, processes, and

change management in the areas of Customer Relationship Management, Finance & Performance

Management, Process & Innovation Performance, Risk Management, Strategy, Supply Chain

Management, and Talent & Organization Performance.

Technology: This growth platform brings together the full range of systems integration, technology

consulting, and IT outsourcing skills. Specialties include enterprise solutions, system integration, technicalarchitecture, business intelligence, infrastructure consulting, and technology research/development.

Business Process Outsourcing: This growth platform focuses on the full range range of BPO services

to enable high performance, including function-specific services such as procurement, HR and finance

and accounting, as well as services geared to the needs of specific industries such as utilities, insurance

and health care.

Leadership

Chairman of the Board:

Joe Forehand (February 2001 – August 2006)[19]

William "Bill" D. Green (September 2006 – …)[20]

Chief executive officer:

Joe Forehand (November 1999 – August 2004)[19]

William D. "Bill" Green (September 2004 – December 2010)[20]

Pierre Nanterme (January 2011 – …)[21]

See also

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship

Top 50 Business Intellectuals

References

1. ̂a b c d e f "Google Finance data on Accenture" (http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:ACN&fstype=ii) .Accenture Investor Relations. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:ACN&fstype=ii. Retrieved December 12,2010.

2. ̂a b "Yahoo! – Accenture Ltd Company Profile" (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/43/43516.html) . Biz.yahoo.com.http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/43/43516.html. Retrieved September 9, 2010.

3. ^ "Fortune Global 500 – Accenture Company Profile 2008"(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/snapshots/11019.html) . CNN.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/snapshots/11019.html. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

4. ̂a b Company Description (http://careers3.accenture.com/Careers/Norway/IT-Experience.htm) Accenturewebsite. Retrieved April 7, 2009.

5. ^ "Accenture – Company Profile – on Linkedin" (http://www.linkedin.com/companies/accenture) .http://www.linkedin.com/companies/accenture. Retrieved December 28, 2010.

6. ^ Accenture: The Growth of a Global Leader(http://www.accenture.com/Global/About_Accenture/Company_Overview/History/AccentureLeader.htm) ;Accenture website. Retrieved June 19, 2007.

7. ^ Arbitrator's Ruling Goes Against Accounting Arm: Consultants Win Battle Of Andersen(http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/08/08/consult.2.t.php) ; International Herald Tribune

8. ^ Accenture IPO gains in first trades – Jul. 19, 2001(http://money.cnn.com/2001/07/19/deals/accenture/index.htm) ; CNN Money

9. ^ Information on Federal Contractors That Are Incorporated Offshore(http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03194r.pdf) ; United States General Accounting Office; October 1, 2002

10. ^ Dobbs, Lou (March 9, 2004). "Exporting America"(http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/09/commentary/dobbs/dobbs/index.htm) . CNN.http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/09/commentary/dobbs/dobbs/index.htm. Retrieved May 3, 2011.

11. ^ Con. Larua DeLauro's Statement on Award of Homeland Defense Contract to Accenture(http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2004/accenture_06_01_04.html)

12. ^ "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.http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4830. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

13. ^ "Accenture Match Play Information Page" (http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r470/) . Accenture Match PlayInformation Page. http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r470/.

14. ^ "Accenture cuts Tiger Woods sponsorship deal" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8411091.stm) . BBCNews. December 14, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8411091.stm. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

15. ^ Pulley, Brett (December 11, 2009). "Tiger Woods Disappears From Accenture Web Home Page"(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a5KkXJCY3B1k) . Bloomberg.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a5KkXJCY3B1k. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

16. ^ "Accenture to Help Transform European Space Agency's Financial Management Model and InformationSystems" (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS75988+22-Jun-2009+BW20090622) . Reuters. June22, 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS75988+22-Jun-2009+BW20090622.

17. ^ Accenture. "Accenture Defense Industry Group Overview"(http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/By_Industry/Government_and_Public_Service/Defense/DefenseOverview.htm) . Accenture.com.http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/By_Industry/Government_and_Public_Service/Defense/DefenseOverview.htm. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

18. ̂a b "Accenture 10-K" (http://www.secinfo.com/d14D5a.r76a8.htm) . Accenture 10-K.http://www.secinfo.com/d14D5a.r76a8.htm. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

19. ̂a b "Accenture Chairman and CEO Joe W. Forehand to Step Down as CEO; Will Retain Position of Chairman"(http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4091) . Accenture Newsroom.

(http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4091) . Accenture Newsroom.http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4091. Retrieved July 26, 2011.

20. ̂a b "Accenture profile: William (Bill) D. Green" (http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/pages/william-bill-d-green.aspx) . Accenture.com. http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/pages/william-bill-d-green.aspx. Retrieved July 26, 2011.

21. ^ "Accenture profile: Pierre Nanterme" (http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/pages/pierre-nanterme.aspx) . Accenture.com. http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/pages/pierre-nanterme.aspx.Retrieved July 26, 2011.

External links

Official website (http://www.accenture.com/)Inside Buzz Accenture Profile (http://www.insidebuzz.co.uk/company/accenture)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accenture"

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