Julie Sweet named first female CEO of Accenture

Julie Sweet has been appointed the first female CEO of consulting firm Accenture.

Sweet, the 51-year-old CEO of Accenture’s business in North America, the company’s largest market, will take the top job of the consulting firm globally on September 1.

"Julie is the right person to lead Accenture into the future, given her strong command of our business and proven ability to drive results in our largest market," said Accenture’s interim CEO David Rowland, who will become the executive chairman of Accenture, in a company statement.

"With Julie as CEO and David as executive chair, Accenture has a powerful advantage in the marketplace," – Marge Magner

"We are on a positive growth trajectory at Accenture and are very well-positioned to continue building on our strong momentum. I am so pleased and proud that Julie will lead our company, and I am excited to work with her — along with our entire senior leadership team — to ensure a seamless transition and on Accenture’s next phase of growth and market leadership."

Before being CEO of Accenture North America, Sweet was Accenture’s general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer. As a member of Accenture’s senior leadership team for nearly a decade, she has played an integral role in the company’s business and investment strategy. Prior to joining Accenture, Sweet was a partner for 10 years in the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Upon assuming the role of chief executive officer, Sweet will join the company’s board of directors.

In 2018, Sweet named in FORTUNE's list of "Most Powerful Women" for the third consecutive year; serves on the Board of Directors of Catalyst, a member of the TechNet Executive Council and Lincoln Center Business Advisory Council. Also a member of the Business Roundtable (BRT), previously on the BRT Board of Directors and as chair of the Technology Committee.

"I am truly honoured to lead our extraordinary company as Accenture’s chief executive officer," said Sweet, who is married with two children. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with our exceptional senior leadership team, along with David, as our executive chairman, and our entire board of directors. Accenture has the most talented people and group of leaders in our industry. Together, we will capture the next waves of growth for Accenture by remaining laser-focused on serving our clients, creating significant value for our shareholders and providing the best career experiences for our people."

Accenture, a multinational professional services company that provides services in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations, reported net revenues of US$39.6 billion, with more than 459,000 employees, serving clients in more than 200 cities in 120 countries. It is a Fortune 500 company, incorporated in Dublin, Ireland.

"Julie has the leadership track record and breadth of business experience we believe are critical to lead Accenture, including the ability to forge major client relationships, a strong focus on leading with innovation, commitment to our people and core values, and a focus on delivering value to shareholders. Speaking on behalf of the board, we look forward to working closely with Julie as chief executive officer," said Marge Magner, currently non-executive chair of the Accenture board. She will resume her role as lead independent director.

Julie Sweet will take up her position as the first female CEO of Accenture on September 1.

"At the same time, we are delighted that we will continue to benefit from David’s experience in his active role as executive chair. He has been an exemplary leader as interim chief executive officer during this time of transition, with a steadfast commitment to driving Accenture’s business and building on our strong momentum. We are grateful for his leadership and stewardship. With Julie as chief executive officer and David as executive chair, Accenture has a powerful advantage in the marketplace."

Accenture has been without a permanent CEO since January 11 following the resignation of Pierre Nanterme due to health reasons. Nanterme, who had been with Accenture for 36 years, died in Paris, France, on January 3.

Accenture confirmed that there is no change to the business outlook for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2019 that the company provided as part of its third-quarter fiscal 2019 earnings announcement on June 27, 2019.