April 20, 2017

Accenture Acquires Kunstmaan to Boost its Customer Experience Services in Belgium



Acquisition of integrated communications agency marks next step in the rapid expansion of Accenture’s agency, Accenture Interactive


BRUSSELS; Apr. 20, 2017 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Kunstmaan, an independent integrated communications agency in Belgium. The acquisition will expand the presence of Accenture Interactive in the Belgian market and strengthen its ability to deliver brand, creative and marketing services to clients. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Kunstmaan is known for creating impactful customer experiences for leading Belgian companies and brands, both online and off. Its work has been recognized with Effie Awards for most effective brand communication. Kunstmaan’s capabilities include brand strategy, creative and marketing services, content creation, and digital development. The agency was founded in 1998 and has offices in Leuven and Antwerp.

Kunstmaan is now a part of Accenture Interactive, the world’s biggest digital agency

“With Kunstmaan, we are accelerating our market position in Belgium as an agency where clients come for a truly holistic customer experience offering,” said Anatoly Roytman, head of Accenture Interactive for Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. “Together, we’re bringing our unique model to the market: part creative agency, part business consultancy and part technology powerhouse – all laser focused on creating the best customer experiences on the planet.”

Accenture Interactive is the world’s biggest and fastest-growing digital agency, according to the latest agency ranking by Advertising Age. It offers digital customer experience services ranging from creative to technology, spanning experience design, marketing, content and commerce.

“Becoming part of the Accenture Interactive family will allow us to lend our creativity and experience to a much broader scope of projects and clients,” said Wim Vanhaeren, founder of Kunstmaan. “We are driven by a passion to create human experiences for the right customer touch points using the right communication channels and tools. We are excited about joining Accenture as we firmly believe it will provide tremendous opportunities for our team and skills to flourish and grow.”

“We are bolstering our capabilities with Kunstmaan’s proven integrated communication services and passion for impactful experiences,” said Wim Decraene, head of Accenture Interactive for Belgium and Luxembourg. “Kunstmaan is bringing valuable talent with highly sought-after skills to Accenture Interactive that will immediately enable us to address a broader range of the digital challenges our clients are facing.”

Kunstmaan is the eleventh acquisition Accenture has made in the last five years to expand the reach, scope, and depth of Accenture Interactive’s end-to-end customer experience services. The deal follows on the heels of its recent majority stake purchase in German digital agency SinnerSchrader and the acquisition of UK creative agency Karmarama. Accenture also recently deepened its digital and user experience capabilities in Europe with the acquisitions of OCTO (France), MOBGEN (Netherlands, Spain), and Tecnilógica (Spain).

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 approximately 401,000 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.

Accenture Interactive helps the world’s leading brands transform their customer experiences across the entire customer journey. Through our connected offerings in design, marketing, content and commerce, we create new ways to win in today’s experience-led economy. Accenture Interactive was ranked the world’s largest and fastest-growing digital agency in the latest Ad Age Agency Report. To learn more follow us @accenturesocial and visit www.accenture.com/interactive.

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, 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 changing technological environment 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 from security breaches or cyberattacks; the company’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; changes in the company’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; the company’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; 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, investing in 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; 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; 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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Contacts:

Katia de Vos
Accenture
+ 32 2 2216762
katia.de.vos@accenture.com

Jens R. Derksen
Accenture Interactive
+ 49 175 5761393
jens.derksen@accenture.com