October 07, 2020

Accenture to Acquire Avenai, Ottawa-based Business and Technology Consultancy

Acquisition will enhance Accenture’s ability to help public-sector clients with technology transformations

OTTAWA; Oct. 7, 2020 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Avenai, an Ottawa-based provider of consulting and technology services. Financial terms were not disclosed.

With Avenai’s significant focus on the public sector market, the acquisition will enhance Accenture’s capacity to drive the technology transformation taking place across the public sector in Canada.

“COVID-19 is leading many Canadian organizations to accelerate their technology transformations to ensure they come out ahead in this new reality, and that’s why we are adding significantly to our team of experts in Ottawa,” said Jeffrey Russell, president of Accenture in Canada. “We look forward to working with the Avenai team to help our clients transform to meet the challenges of today and the future.”

Mark Lambert, managing director and federal public service practice lead in Canada, said, “Government organizations are at a digital transformation tipping point, with many departments and agencies rapidly moving to the cloud and embracing new ways to modernize and improve delivery models and services for Canadians. Avenai brings a stellar consulting team that will be amplified by Accenture’s global reach to support our clients’ broad ambitions.”

Since its establishment in 2012, Avenai has built a strong reputation with government and commercial clients in the Ottawa and Toronto regions, growing from four to more than 70 employees. Avenai supports key aspects of business change, including strategy development, process improvement, IT-enabled business transformation, and organization culture transformation.

Avenai founders Chris Brennan, Mike Scotten and Brendan Timmins will join Accenture as managing directors in its Strategy & Consulting practice. They will continue to lead the team they helped build at Avenai and will also work with Accenture leadership across other practices to shape and pursue new business opportunities. Avenai’s employees will also join Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting practice.

“Accenture and Avenai share values of delivery excellence, collaboration and community,” said Chris Brennan, Avenai’s CEO and co-founder. “Our team is excited about the opportunity to bring our expertise together with Accenture’s to provide the best outcomes for our clients and new opportunities for our people.”

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 506,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Visit us at www.accenture.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. For a discussion of risks and actions taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see “Our results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic” under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in Accenture plc’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended May 31, 2020. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Avenai will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties’ ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture 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; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture’s contracts include fees subject to the attainment of targets or specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders’ ownership interest in the company; Accenture 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, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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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Contacts:

Susan Kirwin
Accenture
+1 416 641 5148
susan.kirwin@accenture.com

Joe Dickie
Accenture
+1 512 694 6422
joseph.r.dickie@accenture.com