Accenture PLC
Company History
Accenture History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1989 in Chicago, Illinois (as Andersen Consulting)
When was Accenture founded?
Accenture was founded in 1989 in Chicago, Illinois (as Andersen Consulting) by Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners and George Shaheen, making it 37 years old.
- Founded
- 1989
- Founding place
- Chicago, Illinois (as Andersen Consulting)
- Founders
- Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners and George Shaheen
- Headquarters today
- Dublin, Ireland
- Milestones documented
- 16 (1953–2026)
- Current CEO
- Julie Sweet
- Acquisitions
- 7
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Arthur Andersen GE feasibility study |
| 1989 | Andersen Consulting formed |
| 1997 | Arbitration with Arthur Andersen begins |
| 2000 | Arbitration ruling and Avanade |
| 2001 | Rename to Accenture and NYSE IPO |
| 2004 | William D. Green becomes CEO |
| 2009 | Reincorporation in Ireland |
| 2011 | Pierre Nanterme becomes CEO |
| 2013 | Fjord acquisition |
| 2016 | Duck Creek stake sold to Apax |
| 2019 | CEO transition and Droga5 |
| 2022 | Accenture Song |
| 2023 | $3B Data & AI investment |
| 2024 | Udacity acquisition |
| 2025 | FY2025 results and restructuring |
| 2026 | Faculty and Ookla deals |
- What was Accenture originally called?
- Accenture was originally called Andersen Consulting. It adopted the name Accenture on January 1, 2001. The word is derived from "accent on the future". en.wikipedia.org
- Who founded Accenture?
- Accenture was founded by Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners and George Shaheen.
- When did Accenture start?
- Accenture was founded in 1989.
- How old is Accenture?
- Accenture is 37 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1953 Arthur Andersen's administrative services group, led by Joseph Glickauf, studied how General Electric could computerize payroll at its Appliance Park plant in Louisville, Kentucky; GE installed a UNIVAC I there in 1954. The consulting practice kept growing inside the accounting firm, and in 1989 it became Andersen Consulting, a separate unit of Andersen Worldwide. Disputes over profit sharing and Arthur Andersen's own consulting line led Andersen Consulting to file for arbitration in 1997. The August 2000 ruling let it leave but required a new name, and Norwegian-office employee Kim Petersen's suggestion "Accenture", from "Accent on the future", took effect on January 1, 2001.
Founders
Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners
Accenture has no single founder. It began in the early 1950s as the business and technology consulting practice of Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm founded in 1913. In 1953 an Arthur Andersen team led by Joseph Glickauf studied payroll automation for General Electric at Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky, which led GE to install a UNIVAC I computer in 1954. In 1989 the consulting practice became Andersen Consulting, a separate unit of Andersen Worldwide, with the more profitable unit paying the other up to 15% of its profits. Andersen Consulting filed for ICC arbitration in 1997 after Arthur Andersen built a competing consulting line. The ruling announced on August 7, 2000 let it leave, rejected Arthur Andersen's $14.5B claim, and required it to change its name and pay fees withheld during the dispute (The Guardian reported $850M; later accounts cite about $1.2B). The firm became Accenture on January 1, 2001 and went public on the NYSE on July 19, 2001, the year before Arthur Andersen was convicted over its Enron audit work. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
George Shaheen
George Shaheen led Andersen Consulting from 1989 until September 1999. By the time he left, the consulting unit had about 65,000 staff. In 1997 it began the ICC arbitration to separate from Arthur Andersen. He left in 1999 to become CEO of online grocer Webvan, which filed for bankruptcy in 2001, so the arbitration outcome, the 2001 rename to Accenture and the July 2001 IPO took place under his successor, Joe Forehand. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Arthur Andersen GE feasibility study
Arthur Andersen's administrative services group, led by Joseph Glickauf, carries out a study for General Electric on computerizing payroll at Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. It leads to GE installing a UNIVAC I in 1954, often cited as the first business use of a computer in the U.S.
Source: computerhistory.orgAndersen Consulting formed
Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting become separate units of Andersen Worldwide Societe Cooperative, with George Shaheen as managing partner and CEO of the consulting unit. The more profitable unit pays the other up to 15% of profits.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgArbitration with Arthur Andersen begins
Andersen Consulting files an arbitration claim with the International Chamber of Commerce, arguing that Arthur Andersen broke their agreement by building its own competing consulting practice.
Source: theguardian.comArbitration ruling and Avanade
In April 2000 Andersen Consulting and Microsoft form Avanade, a joint venture now majority owned by Accenture. On Aug 7, 2000 the ICC arbitrator lets Andersen Consulting leave, rejects Arthur Andersen's $14.5B claim, and requires a name change and payment of fees withheld during the dispute.
Source: theguardian.comRename to Accenture and NYSE IPO
Andersen Consulting becomes Accenture on Jan 1, 2001, a name based on "Accent on the future" suggested by an employee in Oslo. The Bermuda-incorporated company prices its IPO at $14.50 per share and starts trading on the NYSE on July 19, 2001.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWilliam D. Green becomes CEO
William D. Green succeeds Joe Forehand as CEO on Sept 1, 2004; Forehand remains chairman.
Source: cnet.comReincorporation in Ireland
On May 26, 2009 the board approves moving the company's place of incorporation from Bermuda to Ireland, which remains its legal domicile.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPierre Nanterme becomes CEO
Pierre Nanterme becomes CEO in January 2011. The same year Accenture completes its purchase of insurance software company Duck Creek Technologies.
Source: newsroom.accenture.comFjord acquisition
Accenture agrees in May 2013 to acquire Fjord, a service design consultancy, adding design capacity to Accenture Interactive.
Source: aol.comDuck Creek stake sold to Apax
Funds advised by Apax Partners buy a 60% stake in Duck Creek Technologies from Accenture, which keeps 40%.
Source: apax.comCEO transition and Droga5
Nanterme steps down for health reasons on Jan 11, 2019 and CFO David Rowland becomes interim CEO. Accenture Interactive completes the purchase of creative agency Droga5, and Julie Sweet becomes CEO on Sept 1, 2019.
Source: newsroom.accenture.comAccenture Song
On April 26, 2022 Accenture Interactive begins going to market as Accenture Song. FY2022 revenue rises 22% to $61.59B.
Source: newsroom.accenture.com$3B Data & AI investment
In June 2023 Accenture announces a $3B investment over three years in its Data & AI practice and a plan to double AI talent to 80,000 people.
Source: newsroom.accenture.comUdacity acquisition
Accenture completes its purchase of online education company Udacity on May 20, 2024 to support its Accenture LearnVantage training business.
Source: newsroom.accenture.comFY2025 results and restructuring
FY2025 revenue reaches $69.67B with $80.62B in new bookings. In September 2025 Accenture outlines a six-month, $865M business optimization program, mainly severance, and moves to a single Reinvention Services unit.
Source: cnbc.comFaculty and Ookla deals
Accenture completes the acquisition of UK AI company Faculty on March 16, 2026 and agrees in March 2026 to buy Ziff Davis's connectivity division (Ookla, Speedtest, Downdetector) for $1.2B in cash. Q3 FY2026 revenue is $18.72B.
Source: cnbc.comMajor Acquisitions
Duck Creek Technologies
2011Added policy, billing and claims software for property and casualty insurers. Terms were not disclosed.
Fjord
2013Service design consultancy bought to add digital design work to Accenture Interactive. Terms were not disclosed.
Droga5
2019New York creative agency with more than 500 employees, bought to add brand and advertising work to Accenture Interactive. Announced April 3, 2019; terms not disclosed.
umlaut
2021Engineering consulting firm based in Aachen, Germany, with about 4,200 staff, bought to expand Industry X engineering services. Announced June 14, 2021 and completed Oct 1, 2021; terms not disclosed.
Udacity
2024Online technology education company bought to support Accenture LearnVantage, launched in March 2024 to train client staff in technology, data and AI. Completed May 20, 2024.
Faculty
2026UK applied AI company with about 400 staff and a decision intelligence product. Announced Jan 6, 2026 and completed March 16, 2026. Accenture did not disclose terms; the FT reported the deal valued Faculty at about $1B.
Ookla (Ziff Davis Connectivity division)
2026Agreement announced March 3, 2026 to buy Ziff Davis's Connectivity division, including Ookla, Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau and RootMetrics, for $1.2B in cash. The division had $231M of revenue in 2025.
Keep researching Accenture
Accenture Company History FAQ
What are the defining milestones in Accenture's historical timeline?
Key milestones include the 1953 General Electric computer study, the 1989 formation of Andersen Consulting, the August 2000 arbitration ruling, the 2001 rename to Accenture and NYSE IPO, the 2009 reincorporation in Ireland, the 2023 $3B AI commitment and the 2026 Faculty and Ookla deals.
When did Accenture launch its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange?
Accenture's IPO was priced at $14.50 per share and its shares began trading on the NYSE under the ticker ACN on July 19, 2001.
How did Accenture expand its large delivery presence in India?
Accenture built large delivery centers in Indian cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune, and India is one of its largest workforce locations. It does not report a country-by-country headcount in its 10-K.
When did Accenture rebrand its creative interactive business to Accenture Song?
On April 26, 2022 Accenture announced that Accenture Interactive would go to market as Accenture Song. Droga5 kept its own name within Accenture Song. David Droga led Accenture Song until September 1, 2025, when Ndidi Oteh became its CEO and Droga became Accenture vice chair.
How did Accenture support global enterprise continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In 2020 Accenture moved most of its workforce, then more than 500,000 people, to remote work. FY2020 revenue still grew to $44.33B from $43.22B in FY2019.
When did Accenture announce its 'Total Enterprise Reinvention' strategy?
Accenture began promoting the idea of "total enterprise reinvention" in 2022, arguing that companies should rebuild every function on a modern digital core of cloud, data and AI. In September 2025 it reorganized its services into a single Reinvention Services unit.
How has Accenture's market capitalization grown since its 2001 IPO?
Accenture's market value was about US$13.9 billion at its July 2001 IPO and peaked near US$273 billion at the end of 2021. It was about US$110.7 billion on September 30, 2026.
What is Accenture's strategic vision for enterprise Generative AI through 2030?
Accenture is investing in AI through its $3B Data & AI program announced in 2023, generative AI training for its staff, and acquisitions such as Faculty (2026). It reports AI bookings as part of its consulting and managed services results.
Where was Accenture founded?
Accenture originated in the United States as Andersen Consulting, the business and technology consulting division of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. After splitting from Arthur Andersen in 2000, it rebranded as Accenture in 2001. Today, it is incorporated and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Why did Accenture change its name?
Accenture officially adopted its new name in 2001 following a bitter arbitration split from its parent accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, just months before Andersen collapsed in the Enron scandal.
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