Accenture vs Qualcomm: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Accenture and Qualcomm side by side

1. 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.

2. 1985Qualcomm

   Qualcomm Founded

   Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi, and five colleagues found Qualcomm Incorporated in San Diego, California, initially operating as a telecommunications consulting and research firm from a converted restaurant building.

3. 1988Qualcomm

   OmniTRACS Commercial Launch

   Qualcomm commercially launches OmniTRACS, a satellite-based two-way messaging and positioning system for long-haul trucking that becomes the company's first profitable product and funds ongoing CDMA research.

4. 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.

5. 1989Qualcomm

   First Live CDMA Demonstration

   Qualcomm conducts its first outdoor live CDMA demonstration in San Diego, proving the technology works in real-world conditions and attracting serious attention from U.S. Cellular carriers and equipment manufacturers.

6. 1991Qualcomm

   Initial Public Offering

   Qualcomm goes public on the Nasdaq Stock Market in December 1991, raising approximately $43 million at $16 per share in an IPO that gives the company capital to accelerate CDMA commercialization.

7. 1993Qualcomm

   IS-95 CDMA Standard Adopted

   The Telecommunications Industry Association formally adopts IS-95, a CDMA standard based substantially on Qualcomm's technology, as an approved digital cellular standard in the United States validating the company's decade-long technological bet.

8. 1995Qualcomm

   First Commercial CDMA Network Launched

   Sprint PCS launches the first commercial CDMA cellular network in the United States, using Qualcomm-based technology and marking the beginning of large-scale commercial deployment that would define U.S. Wireless infrastructure for the next twenty years.

9. 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.

10. 1999Qualcomm

    Strategic Exit from Infrastructure and Handsets

    Qualcomm sells its network infrastructure division to Ericsson and its handset manufacturing business to Kyocera, focusing the company entirely on chip design and patent licensing a strategic concentration that defines its business model to the present day.

11. 2000Accenture

    Arbitration ruling and Avanade

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

12. 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.

13. 2004Accenture

    William D. Green becomes CEO

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

14. 2007Qualcomm

    Snapdragon Platform Introduction

    Qualcomm introduces the Snapdragon brand for its mobile system-on-chip processors, establishing a consumer-facing identity for its mobile silicon that would become synonymous with premium Android smartphone performance over the following decade.

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. 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%.

19. 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.

20. 2019Qualcomm

    Apple Settlement and Licensing Agreement

    Following years of contentious litigation, Qualcomm and Apple reach a global settlement in April 2019 covering all pending litigation worldwide, with Apple agreeing to a multi-year chip supply deal and a licensing arrangement reportedly involving back payments…

21. 2021Qualcomm

    Nuvia Acquisition

    Qualcomm acquires Nuvia, a CPU startup founded by former Apple Silicon architects, for approximately $1.4 billion, bringing custom CPU design capabilities in-house that power the Oryon cores in Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon X Elite PC chips.

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. 2023Qualcomm

    Snapdragon X Elite PC Platform Launch

    Qualcomm launches the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus platforms for Windows PCs, powering Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative and marking the company's most significant push into personal computing since the failed Snapdragon 835 PC effort in 2017.

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. 2024Qualcomm

    Snapdragon 8 Elite Launch

    Qualcomm launches the Snapdragon 8 Elite, its first phone chip with custom Oryon CPU cores, built on TSMC's 3nm process.

27. 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.

28. 2025Qualcomm

    Alphawave Semi Acquisition Completed

    Qualcomm completes its roughly $2.4B purchase of Alphawave Semi to accelerate data center connectivity products.

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.

30. 2026Qualcomm

    Q2 FY2026 Results and $20B Buyback Authorization

    Qualcomm reports Q2 FY2026 revenue of $10.599B, record quarterly QCT automotive revenue, 20% year-over-year growth in combined QCT automotive and IoT revenue, and a new $20B repurchase authorization.

31. 2026Qualcomm

    Q3 FY2026 Results and $40B Non-Handset Target

    Qualcomm reports Q3 FY2026 revenue of $9.9B (down 4%), automotive revenue up 61% to $1.6B, and raises its FY2029 non-handset revenue target to $40B.

Acquisitions

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