December 10, 2015

Accenture Strengthens Digital Marketing Capabilities for the Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical-Device Industries with Acquisition of Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications

Deal expands Accenture’s ability to help companies provide differentiating customer and patient experiences

NEW YORK; Dec. 10, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, an international full-service digital marketing agency serving the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical-device industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition strengthens the broad range of digital consulting and digital marketing services Accenture provides to clients in these industries, particularly in Europe. Services include end-to-end digital marketing; service and experience design; content, campaign and publication management; and digital communication services.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Boomerang is a full-service digital agency, providing digital strategy, digital marketing services, web-site development and site promotion for the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical-device industries for more than 17 years. With more than 80 employees, Boomerang also has offices in Mulhouse, France; Parsippany, New Jersey (United States); and Dublin, Ireland.

Boomerang will become part of Accenture Consulting. The acquisition represents another step in Accenture’s strategy of adding key skills and capabilities to deliver end-to-end services, including online promotion, content and campaign management, and marketing execution and operations.

“Pharmaceutical companies are rethinking their businesses to address a multichannel, multi-customer, outcome-oriented healthcare environment,” said Andrea Brueckner, Europe and Latin America lead for Accenture’s Life Sciences practice. “They are using more external resources to build and operate global and scalable digital marketing and sales organizations that can design experiences that customers and patients find engaging, helpful and exciting. Boomerang will enhance our capabilities, expertise and ability to drive improved outcomes for our clients.”

Emmanuel Bueb, CEO of Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, said: “Our expertise in providing digital solutions and creative services to the global life sciences industry is complementary to Accenture’s suite of business services. Becoming part of Accenture will enable us to better serve the end-to-end needs of complex marketing organizations in these industries. We are excited to join Accenture, taking advantage of the company’s capabilities, technology and experience in helping their clients better meet the needs of their patients and customers.”

Other acquisitions Accenture has made globally in the past 12 months to bolster its digital marketing and design capabilities include AD.Dialeto, a digital agency in Brazil; Chaotic Moon, a creative technology studio in the United States; Pacific Link, a set of independent digital agencies serving Greater China; Brightstep, a Swedish provider of digital content and commerce solutions; and Reactive Media Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest independent and multi-award winning digital agencies. The five companies are being integrated with Accenture Interactive, part of Accenture Digital.

Accenture’s global life sciences industry group serves the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical technology, distribution and consumer health sectors in more than 50 countries.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 358,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

About Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications
Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications provides digital marketing services, web-site development and site promotion for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. We marry the art of creativity with the rigor of science to produce outstanding digital solutions for pharmaceutical and biotech clients. We have 17 years of experience delivering global and market-based digital initiatives for some of the leading pharmaceutical companies and brands worldwide. Visit us at www.boomerangpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for the company; the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; the company’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions, and a significant reduction in such demand could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if the company is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the markets in which the company competes are highly competitive, and the company might not be able to compete effectively; the company could have liability or the company’s reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and/or company data or information systems as obligated by law or contract or if the company’s information systems are breached; the company’s results of operations and ability to grow could be materially negatively affected if the company cannot adapt and expand its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings by new entrants; the company’s results of operations could materially suffer if the company is not able to obtain sufficient pricing to enable it to meet its profitability expectations; if the company does not accurately anticipate the cost, risk and complexity of performing its work or if the third parties upon whom it relies do not meet their commitments, then the company’s contracts could have delivery inefficiencies and be less profitable than expected or unprofitable; the company’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s profitability could suffer if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful, and the company may not be able to improve its profitability through improvements to cost-management to the degree it has done in the past; the company’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; the company’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; the company might not be successful at identifying, acquiring or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; the company’s Global Delivery Network is increasingly concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; changes in the company’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in the company’s treatment as an Irish company, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s results of operations and financial condition; as a result of the company’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; adverse changes to the company’s relationships with key alliance partners or in the business of its key alliance partners could adversely affect the company’s results of operations; the company’s services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company might lose its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others; if the company is unable to protect its intellectual property rights from unauthorized use or infringement by third parties, its business could be adversely affected; the company’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if the company is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; any changes to the estimates and assumptions that the company makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of the company’s contracts include payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; if the company is unable to collect its receivables or unbilled services, the company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected; the company’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; the company may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

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Contact:

Anthony Hatter
Accenture
+ 44 7810 756 138
anthony.hatter@accenture.com