Julie Sweet
CEO and Chair / Accenture plc
Accenture, the global giant in technology and professional services, is at the forefront of business transformation in an era characterized by rapid technological change.
Founded in 1989 and based in Dublin, Ireland, Accenture has grown into a $69.7 billion company, employing nearly 800,000 people across more than 120 countries. In North America, the company’s main headquarters are in Chicago, with a secondary hub also in New York.
The company provides a wide range of services, including strategy development, consulting, digital transformation, technology implementation, operations improvement, cybersecurity, supply chain optimization, and human capital management.
With a client list that includes three-quarters of the Fortune Global 100 and 500, along with 195 of its top 200 clients who have partnered for over a decade, Accenture is more than just a vendor; it is a trusted advisor and a global leader in innovation.
From Legal Counsel to CEO
Julie Sweet’s rise to the top of Accenture is a story of reinvention. After spending a decade as a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Sweet joined Accenture in 2010 as general counsel, later serving as chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. In 2015, she was named CEO of Accenture’s North America division, the firm’s largest market, before becoming the first woman appointed CEO in 2019 and taking on the role as chair in 2021.
Sweet manages the company based in the US. Her leadership style is defined by adaptability, transparency, and a strong emphasis on learning. “If you lead anyone, you have to be able to help them change.”
For Sweet, leadership in today’s world is less about expertise and more about the ability to adapt: “The moment that you look at your career and you say you haven’t done something different in the way you’re working, that you’re probably not learning enough because the world around us is moving very, very fast.”
“Companies will have a greater technology landscape, but we need to completely change the narrative to inspire people to paint the future. It is human in the lead, not human in the loop.”
Accenture’s Transformation
When Sweet became CEO in 2019, she moved quickly to overhaul Accenture’s operating model, enabling the company to respond swiftly to changing market conditions, a flexibility that became crucial as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. This transformation soon led to the launch of the Cloud First initiative, which grew from a $12 billion to an $18 billion business in just a year. Accenture’s approach now focuses on “reinvention services,” combining strategy, consulting, technology, and operations into a single offering.
Sweet’s philosophy is centered on continuous improvement. “Every leader needs to think of themselves as a reinventor,” she says. “Reinvention can only happen with leaders, and leaders have to make a choice: Am I a reinventor?” She believes leaders must reconsider how they operate, how they develop talent, and how they motivate teams through change. “Being a reinventor is believing that every part of the enterprise and their product has to be reinvented using tech, data, AI—new ways of working, new ways of engaging.”
Data Driven Results
In fiscal 2025, Accenture saw revenue growth across all markets and industries, generating nearly $5 billion in additional revenue and securing $80.6 billion in new bookings. The company’s operating margin rose to 15.6%, adjusted earnings per share increased by 8%, and free cash flow exceeded $10.9 billion.
In Accenture’s Q3 2026 results, they reported revenues of $18.7 billion, a $1.0 billion increase from the previous year. The company also achieved an operating margin of 17.0%, a 9% rise in diluted EPS to $3.80, and free cash flow of $3.6 billion.
“Accenture delivered a strong third-quarter, with broad-based revenue growth, a 9% increase in EPS, and $8.2 billion returned to shareholders year-to-date,” Sweet recently shared with investors.
“Demand for large-scale reinvention remains strong—104 quarterly client bookings of $100 million or more year-to-date, up 13%—and we are seeing more large-scale AI transformation programs, while executing our strategy to capture new areas of growth.”
“Our primary strategy is reskilling. Every one of our people has access to training. We’ve just opened our entire learning platform, which includes degrees, to any person at Accenture.”
With $3.7 billion in dividends and $4.6 billion spent on share buybacks last year, Accenture’s commitment to creating value for shareholders is evident. The company has plans for an additional $7.9 billion in share repurchases by the end of 2026.
Investing in People and Tech
Under Sweet’s direction, Accenture has placed a major emphasis on upskilling and reskilling its workforce. The company invests approximately $1 billion a year in training, with every employee completing an average of 40 hours of learning annually. “Our primary strategy is reskilling. Every one of our people has access to training. We’ve just opened our entire learning platform, which includes degrees, to any person at Accenture,” Sweet noted in November. This commitment has allowed Accenture to triple its generative AI revenue year-over-year to $2.7 billion and nearly double AI-related bookings to $5.9 billion, with over 6,000 advanced AI projects delivered in fiscal 2025.
The company’s AI leadership is enabled by a team of 77,000 skilled AI and data professionals. So far, more than 550,000 employees have completed foundational training in generative AI.
But for Sweet, technology is only half the equation. “Companies will have a greater technology landscape, but we need to completely change the narrative to inspire people to paint the future. It is human in the lead, not human in the loop.” At Accenture, communication and change-management training are now embedded into every level of leadership, reflecting Sweet’s belief that “to develop people, you have to be a great communicator.”
Culture, Inclusion, and Global Impact
Sweet is recognized among Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business for her inspiring leadership and dedication to clients, team members, partners, and the community. Throughout her tenure, she has also been defined by a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and responsible business practices. She is a member of the World Economic Forum Board of Trustees, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and several nonprofit and advocacy boards. In 2024, she received the Anti-Defamation League’s Courage Against Hate Award.
The company climbed to No. 4 on the 2025 Fortune World’s Best Workplaces List, with Sweet stating, “We have a culture of progress over perfection. When you have that culture, you provide the safety to move quickly, to be able to make mistakes, and that is a deep part of our DNA.”
Accenture proudly maintains its top position within its industry and ranks No. 44 overall on the Brand Finance Most Valuable Brands list, with its brand value increasing by 2% to reach $42.3 billion, making it the most valuable IT services brand worldwide for the eighth consecutive year. The company is also in the Top 30 of The Wall Street Journal’s Best Companies for the Future.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
No transformation comes without its difficulties. In 2026, Accenture’s shares dropped nearly 20% in a single day and declined 50% year-over-year. Sweet addressed these obstacles with a long-term view. “The investors, I think, are missing the AI tailwind and how we’re positioning ourselves for the long-term. AI scaling will take some time.”
Moving forward, despite short-term market pressures, Sweet remains optimistic. She highlights increased consulting sales, a $9 billion rise in managed services, and a growing pipeline of large-scale AI transformation projects. “We’re doing more consulting now because clients are doing more reinvention. It really depends on how fast enterprises are ready to scale. There’s a lot of work to do to scale. We are optimistic because we see what our clients are asking us to do.”
Looking ahead, Sweet’s vision is unambiguous: “Our strategy—to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and the most AI-enabled, client-focused, great place to work for our Reinventors—continues to guide every decision and investment.”
“We have a culture of progress over perfection. When you have that culture, you provide the safety to move quickly, to be able to make mistakes, and that is a deep part of our DNA.”
Recent Collaborations
Accenture’s growth and innovation strategy is deeply intertwined with its industry partnerships and acquisitions. Recently, the company has built and expanded collaborations with leading technology providers, hospitality leaders, cybersecurity firms, and industry disruptors worldwide.
In Q3 2026, Accenture’s acquisition of a majority stake in Dragos, along with the full purchase of OT security firms runZero and NetRise, demonstrates a broader strategy of building ecosystem partnerships in AI, cloud, and digital transformation. This strategy positions Accenture at the center of rapidly evolving markets.
Sweet stated, “Our agreement to acquire a majority stake in Dragos and all of runZero and NetRise, leaders in OT Security, is the type of move that defines our strategy: it is expanding our addressable market, creating a new platform-led growth opportunity, and is positioning Accenture at the center of one of the most critical cybersecurity challenges our clients face.”
In July 2026, Accenture Federal Services was awarded a contract valued at up to $821 million over five years to develop the core software connecting hundreds of military data streams to the Pentagon’s War Data Platform, a key part of the Department of Defense’s AI initiatives. Through this partnership, the company will support essential WDP data operations, integrate infrastructure and platform tools, implement robust cybersecurity measures, and provide comprehensive service desk capabilities, ensuring seamless interoperability for the Pentagon’s AI-powered decision-making tools.
Also in July, in the private sector, Accenture and Radisson Hotel Group partnered to accelerate the hospitality group’s digital transformation. This collaboration seeks to improve guest experiences through advanced digital platforms, data analytics, and personalized services, utilizing Accenture’s expertise in cloud, AI, and customer engagement.
Moving forward, these high-profile partnerships and ecosystem alliances are crucial in expanding Accenture’s capabilities, driving innovation, and providing comprehensive solutions for complex, global clients.
“Excellence, confidence, and humility. That is my North Star, because the moment I lose sight of that, I may not be challenging myself and our company enough to continue to be the winner. That is how we’ve won.”
A Bright Future
Julie Sweet doesn’t just talk about reinvention; she lives it. Her time at Accenture has been characterized by bold choices, a constant drive to learn, and a firm belief in the power of people to create change.
“Excellence, confidence, and humility. That is my North Star, because the moment I lose sight of that, I may not be challenging myself and our company enough to continue to be the winner. That is how we’ve won.”
As Accenture continues to lead its clients through the age of AI, Sweet’s human-centered approach, strategic insight, and emphasis on growth and inclusion set a benchmark not only for consulting but also for business leadership overall.
In her own words: “Every leader needs to think of themselves as a reinventor.” At Accenture, that ethos is more than a motto—it is a mandate for the future.
