Accenture Names Stephen J. Rohleder Chief Operating Officer, Effective Sept. 1, 2004
Stephan A. James to Retire; Will Serve in Advisory Role
NEW YORK; June 14, 2004 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has named Stephen J. Rohleder chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1, 2004. Mr. Rohleder will succeed Stephan A. James, who will retire on Aug. 31 after 36 years with the company. Following his retirement, Mr. James will continue in an advisory capacity to Accenture, holding the title of international chairman.
Mr. Rohleder, 46, is currently chief executive of Accenture’s Government operating group. He will be succeeded in that role by Martin I. Cole, 48, who is currently Accenture’s managing partner of Outsourcing & Infrastructure Delivery. In his new role, Mr. Cole will become a member of the company’s Management Committee and an executive officer.
“Steve Rohleder and Marty Cole are two of the most accomplished executives in our company and in the industry, with proven track records as business builders and an intense focus on sales and client satisfaction,” said William D. Green, who will replace Joe W. Forehand as Accenture’s CEO on Sept. 1, 2004. “I am excited about the passion for our business that Steve and Marty will bring to my leadership team as we guide Accenture into our next phase of growth.”
As COO, Mr. Rohleder will provide leadership for all of Accenture’s business operations and have primary responsibility for executing Accenture’s business strategy and ensuring operational excellence. He will retain his roles as an executive officer of Accenture and a member of the company’s Management Committee.
Mr. Rohleder became chief executive of the Government operating group in March 2003. During his more than five years in leadership roles in Government, it has become Accenture’s fastest-growing operating group.
In his role as chief executive of Accenture’s Government operating group, Mr. Cole will oversee Accenture’s work with national, state and municipal government agencies and organizations around the world. Accenture’s Government operating group focuses primarily on the defense, revenue, human services, justice, postal, education and electoral authorities.
Mr. Cole has played a central role in Accenture’s transformation into a major outsourcing provider, and under his leadership the company’s outsourcing revenues have grown, on average, approximately 35 percent annually. In assuming the chief executive role for the Government operating group, Mr. Cole returns to a part of Accenture’s business in which he has more than 20 years of experience.
In his role as an international chairman of Accenture, Mr. James, 57, will represent the company with clients and leaders in business and government. Mr. James, who has served as vice chairman of Accenture’s board of directors since February 2001, will step down as a member of the board and relinquish his positions as an executive officer and a member of the company’s Management Committee, Executive Committee and Global Leadership Council.
“I have had the honor and privilege of working with Steve James for many years, and I thank him for his exemplary service in helping create the Accenture of today,” said Mr. Forehand, who will remain Accenture’s chairman after he steps down as CEO on Sept. 1. “Steve helped develop our business strategy and made enormous contributions to our successful arbitration, our move to corporate form and IPO, as well as our global corporate repositioning. His desire to continue supporting us as an international chairman and leveraging his relationships with clients reflects his passion for Accenture and will greatly benefit our company. I look forward to working with Steve in his new advisory role.”
Biographical Summaries
Mr. Rohleder joined Accenture in 1981 and became a partner in 1992. Before being named to his current position, he served as managing partner of Accenture’s Government operating group in the United States and was managing partner of Accenture’s U.S. Federal practice. He is currently a member of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Logistics Information Technology Industry Executive Advisory Board and the Business Executives for National Security Board.
Mr. Cole, who joined Accenture in 1980 and became a partner in 1989, has been leading Accenture’s outsourcing business since September 2000. He also has significant experience in the Government operating group, having spent most of his 24-year career with Accenture serving government clients. Mr. Cole has lived, worked and traveled extensively throughout the world.
Mr. James joined Accenture in 1968 and became a partner in 1979. Prior to becoming COO in June 2000, he led Accenture’s Resources operating group and, before that, the Financial Services operating group. Earlier in his career, Mr. James was the U.S. Central Region managing partner and also served as managing partner of the Philadelphia office. He also led the company’s global insurance industry practice, working with clients in Europe, the Americas and Japan.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 90,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$11.8 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2003. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
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Roxanne Taylor
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