Skip to main content

Accenture vs Bank of America: Founders, CEOs and History

Accenture was founded in 1989 by Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners, George Shaheen and is led by Julie Sweet. Bank of America was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Peter Giannini and is led by Brian Moynihan.

Company facts

Accenture

Founded
1989
Headquarters
Dublin, Ireland
Current CEO
Julie Sweet
Employees
799,000

Bank of America

Founded
1904
Headquarters
Charlotte, North Carolina
Current CEO
Brian Moynihan
Employees
213,000

Founders

Accenture

  • 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.

  • 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.

Accenture founders in full

Bank of America

  • Amadeo Peter Giannini

    Bank of America was founded by A. P. Giannini, the San Jose-born son of Italian immigrants. In 1904 he opened the Bank of Italy in a converted saloon in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. His aim was unusual for the time: to lend to working people.

Bank of America founders in full

CEOs and their tenures

Accenture

  1. George Shaheen1989–1999

    Managing Partner and CEO, Andersen Consulting

    Led Andersen Consulting from its 1989 formation as a separate unit of Andersen Worldwide until September 1999, a period in which the consulting unit grew to about 65,000 employees and began the 1997 ICC arbitration to leave Arthur Andersen.

    Source
  2. Joe Forehand1999–2004

    CEO

    Succeeded Shaheen in November 1999 as global managing partner and CEO. Led the firm through the August 2000 arbitration ruling, the January 1, 2001 rename to Accenture and the July 19, 2001 NYSE IPO at $14.50 per share.

    Source
  3. William D. Green2004–2011

    CEO

    CEO from Sept 1, 2004 to January 2011, after serving as chief operating officer for client services. Revenue was $23.09B in FY2010, his last full fiscal year as CEO.

    Source
  4. Pierre Nanterme2011–2019

    CEO

    CEO from January 2011 and also chairman from February 2013. Revenue grew from $27.35B in FY2011 to $41.60B in FY2018 as originally reported.

    Source
  5. David Rowland2019–2019

    Interim CEO

    Chief financial officer who served as interim CEO from Jan 10, 2019 after Nanterme stepped down, until Julie Sweet took over on Sept 1, 2019.

    Source
  6. Julie Sweet2019–present

    Chair and CEO

    CEO since Sept 1, 2019 and chair since Sept 1, 2021; previously CEO of Accenture North America and, before that, general counsel. Revenue rose from $44.33B in FY2020 to $69.67B in FY2025, and headcount reached about 799,000 by May 31, 2026.

    Source
Accenture CEO history in full

Bank of America

  1. Amadeo Peter Giannini1904–1945

    Founder and Chairman

    Giannini was born in San Jose, California, in 1870 to Italian immigrant parents and sold fruit and vegetables from a horse-drawn wagon before opening the Bank of Italy in San Francisco at the age of 34.

    Source
  2. Hugh L. McColl Jr.1998–2001

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    McColl joined the company in 1959 as a management trainee and built NationsBank through interstate acquisitions before its 1998 combination with San Francisco based BankAmerica, which took the Bank of America name and created the first coast-to-coast U.S.

    Source
  3. Ken Lewis2001–2009

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Lewis joined the company in 1969 as a credit analyst, ran corporate strategy from 1999, and became chairman and chief executive officer on April 25, 2001 when Hugh McColl retired.

    Source
  4. Brian Moynihan2010–present

    Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

    Moynihan became chief executive officer on January 1, 2010, after running the general counsel, consumer banking and wealth management units, and he also chairs the board.

    Source
Bank of America CEO history in full

Timeline: Accenture and Bank of America side by side

  1. 1904Bank of America

    Bank of Italy Founded

    A.P. Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in San Francisco to expand access to banking for immigrants, wage earners, and small merchants.

  2. 1906Bank of America

    San Francisco Earthquake Response

    After the 1906 earthquake, Giannini resumed lending while much of San Francisco's banking system was disrupted. The response turned emergency access to credit into lasting customer trust and became a defining story in the bank's retail identity.

  3. 1930Bank of America

    Bank of Italy Renamed Bank of America

    The Bank of Italy changed its name to Bank of America on November 1, 1930. The rebrand reflected a wider consumer and business ambition beyond the original immigrant-community label.

  4. 1953Accenture

    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.

  5. 1958Bank of America

    BankAmericard Introduced

    Bank of America introduced BankAmericard in 1958, a revolving-credit card that later became part of the Visa system. The product tied the bank to modern consumer credit, merchant acceptance, and payment-network economics.

  6. 1989Accenture

    Andersen 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.

  7. 1997Accenture

    Arbitration 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.

  8. 1998Bank of America

    NationsBank and BankAmerica Merge

    The 1998 merger of Charlotte-based NationsBank and San Francisco's BankAmerica created the first coast-to-coast U.S. bank under the Bank of America name. It also shifted the modern company's headquarters center to Charlotte.

  9. 2000Accenture

    Arbitration ruling and Avanade

    In April 2000 Andersen Consulting and Microsoft form Avanade, a joint venture now majority owned by Accenture.

  10. 2001Accenture

    Rename 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.

  11. 2004Accenture

    William D. Green becomes CEO

    William D. Green succeeds Joe Forehand as CEO on Sept 1, 2004; Forehand remains chairman.

  12. 2006Bank of America

    MBNA Merger Completed

    The MBNA merger expanded the card business to more than 40M active accounts and nearly $140B in managed balances, according to the company's January 2006 release. That size made cards a more important part of consumer banking revenue and risk.

  13. 2008Bank of America

    Countrywide Acquisition Approved

    The Federal Reserve approved Bank of America's acquisition of Countrywide in June 2008. The deal added mortgage scale but later became a costly warning about buying distressed loan portfolios during a housing crisis.

  14. 2008Bank of America

    Merrill Lynch Acquisition Approved

    The Federal Reserve approved the acquisition of Merrill Lynch in November 2008. Although the integration was controversial, Merrill became central to the company's wealth-management and investment-banking fee base.

  15. 2009Accenture

    Reincorporation 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.

  16. 2011Accenture

    Pierre Nanterme becomes CEO

    Pierre Nanterme becomes CEO in January 2011. The same year Accenture completes its purchase of insurance software company Duck Creek Technologies.

  17. 2013Accenture

    Fjord acquisition

    Accenture agrees in May 2013 to acquire Fjord, a service design consultancy, adding design capacity to Accenture Interactive.

  18. 2014Bank of America

    Mortgage Settlements With the Justice Department and FHFA

    Bank of America agreed in August 2014 to a $16.65B settlement with the Justice Department over mortgage claims tied to Countrywide and Merrill Lynch, following a March 2014 FHFA agreement with an aggregate payment of about $9.33B.

  19. 2016Accenture

    Duck Creek stake sold to Apax

    Funds advised by Apax Partners buy a 60% stake in Duck Creek Technologies from Accenture, which keeps 40%.

  20. 2018Bank of America

    Erica Launched

    Bank of America launched Erica in 2018 as an AI-enabled virtual assistant inside digital banking. The launch mattered because customer service, insights, and routine account tasks were moving from branches and call centers into mobile channels.

  21. 2019Accenture

    CEO 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.

  22. 2022Accenture

    Accenture Song

    On April 26, 2022 Accenture Interactive begins going to market as Accenture Song. FY2022 revenue rises 22% to $61.59B.

  23. 2023Accenture

    $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.

  24. 2023Bank of America

    CFPB and OCC Orders on Fees, Rewards and Accounts

    In July 2023 the CFPB ordered Bank of America to pay more than $100M to customers for repeat non-sufficient-funds fees, withheld credit card rewards and unauthorized accounts, plus $90M in CFPB penalties, and the OCC added a $60M penalty.

  25. 2024Accenture

    Udacity acquisition

    Accenture completes its purchase of online education company Udacity on May 20, 2024 to support its Accenture LearnVantage training business.

  26. 2025Accenture

    FY2025 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.

  27. 2025Bank of America

    $113.1B FY2025 Revenue

    The company reported $113.1B in total revenue net of interest expense and $30.5B in net income for FY2025. The result showed the combined scale of deposits, wealth management, cards, payments, global banking, and markets.

  28. 2025Bank of America

    Co-Presidents Named

    On September 12, 2025 Bank of America named Dean Athanasia and Jim DeMare Co-Presidents and gave Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick the added title of executive vice president.

  29. 2026Accenture

    Faculty 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.

Acquisitions

Accenture

  • Faculty2026Undisclosed
  • Ookla (Ziff Davis Connectivity division)2026$1.2B
  • Udacity2024Undisclosed
  • umlaut2021Undisclosed
  • Droga52019Undisclosed
  • Fjord2013Undisclosed
All Accenture acquisitions

Bank of America

  • Countrywide Financial2008$4B
  • Merrill Lynch2008$50B
  • LaSalle Bank2007$21B
  • MBNA2006$35B
  • FleetBoston Financial2004$47B
  • BankAmerica / NationsBank merger1998$43B
All Bank of America acquisitions

Questions about Accenture vs Bank of America

Who is the CEO of Accenture PLC and Bank of America Corporation?

Accenture PLC is led by Julie Sweet and Bank of America Corporation is led by Brian Moynihan. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.

When was Accenture PLC founded vs Bank of America Corporation?

Bank of America Corporation was founded in 1904 — 85 years before Accenture PLC, which was founded in 1989. Bank of America Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Accenture PLC.

How many employees does Accenture PLC have compared to Bank of America Corporation?

Accenture PLC employs approximately 799,000 people, while Bank of America Corporation employs approximately 213,000. Accenture PLC has the larger workforce at 799,000 employees, compared to Bank of America Corporation's 213,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).

Where are Accenture PLC and Bank of America Corporation headquartered?

Accenture PLC is headquartered in Ireland and Bank of America Corporation is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.

Who founded Accenture PLC and Bank of America Corporation?

Accenture PLC was founded by Arthur Andersen Consulting Partners, George Shaheen. Bank of America Corporation was founded by Amadeo Peter Giannini.

Which company has a longer operating history — Accenture PLC or Bank of America Corporation?

Bank of America Corporation has been operating for approximately 122 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Accenture PLC has been in operation for around 37 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.

Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Accenture vs Bank of America overview

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.