George Shaheen

George Shaheen was the charismatic and aggressive leader of the Andersen Consulting division who spearheaded the fight for independence from Arthur Andersen and served as the first CEO of the newly independent Accenture PLC, guiding the firm through its tumultuous IPO and early years as a standalone entity.

George Shaheen is widely recognized as the primary architect of the independent Accenture PLC. Joining Arthur Andersen in 1967, he rose through the ranks to lead the consulting and technology division, transforming it into a global powerhouse that generated more revenue than the firm's traditional audit practice. Shaheen fiercely believed that the consulting arm needed independence to reach its full potential, free from the governance and cultural constraints of the audit partners. He led the charge in the bitter 1998-2000 dispute that resulted in the International Chamber of Commerce arbitration, securing the $1.2 billion buyout that granted Andersen Consulting its freedom. As the first CEO of the newly rebranded Accenture, Shaheen navigated the firm through a challenging IPO during the dot-com crash and the massive reputational fallout from the collapse of Arthur Andersen following the Enron scandal. His aggressive leadership and unwavering commitment to independence forged the resilient, highly optimized organization that Accenture is today.