July 16, 2013

Erin Maneri Akred of Accenture Selected as Presidential Innovation Fellow

SAN JOSE, CA; July 16, 2013 – Accenture today announced that Erin Maneri Akred, a manager with the Digital Health R&D Group within Accenture Technology Labs, has been selected as a Presidential Innovation Fellow. The program pairs top innovators from the private sector, non-profits and academia with top innovators in government to collaborate to develop solutions that can save lives, save taxpayer money and fuel job creation.

Maneri Akred was one of 43 individuals selected out of thousands of applicants as part of the second class of Presidential Innovation Fellows to undertake a “tour of duty” in the US government. Initially launched in 2012, the program currently includes ten projects – four that are the second phases of Round 1 projects and six new projects.

For the next six months, Maneri Akred will be working on the Open Data Initiatives Project, which is aimed at accelerating and expanding efforts to make government information – such as car safety ratings and hospital pricing – more accessible to the American people, including entrepreneurs and software developers who are using the data as fuel for the creation of new products, services and jobs. Maneri Akred will be working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Accenture supports turning technology innovation into business results and we are thrilled that Erin has been selected to participate in this prestigious White House program to drive innovation in the public sector,” said Paul Daugherty, chief technology officer, Accenture. “We are proud to be able to support our professionals on meaningful assignments such as this that can result in valuable outcomes for citizens.”

As a data and analytics specialist in the Accenture Technology Lab in Silicon Valley, Maneri Akred has led efforts to build analytical capabilities and visual decision support systems used in healthcare and smart grid applications. Her work has resulted in multiple patents and awards, illustrating the art of the possible in a world of abundant data. She holds a BS in Applied Math from Montana State University, and an MS from MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 266,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page is www.accenture.com

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Contact:

Hannah Unkefer
Accenture
+ 415 537 4848
hannah.m.unkefer@accenture.com