AI was billed as an existential threat for consulting firms… yet this global CEO is proving this assessment wrong!

In this article, let’s talk about one of today’s most recognizable leaders in the field of professional services and how she’s pivoted her company in an AI-forward environment.

Keep reading below to know more.

AI was billed as an existential threat for consulting firms… yet this global CEO is proving this assessment wrong!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is radically changing how entire industries operate. Now, routine tasks that usually took several, if not hundreds, of labor hours can now be completed in just the span of a few hours.

AI is ushering in a technological innovation that’s transforming not just jobs, but also the whole labor market itself. 

That’s why in today’s AI-driven mania, industries aren’t just looking into the productivity gains this tech has to offer but also how it can drastically reshape how each of them function.

… and in professional services, the impact of AI has been felt as some have billed this tech as the death knell for the entire industry.

Yet, instead of letting that slow  Accenture  down, this CEO has leveraged AI to supercharge her firm’s performance. 

In 2023, she pivoted Accenture to take full advantage of AI by announcing a USD 3 billion investment in its Data and AI practice to help the company and its clients leverage everything AI has to offer.

Two years later, this investment has helped the company deliver 6,000 AI projects and generate USD 3 billion in revenue!

That’s not all. 

Accenture’s data and AI team has rapidly expanded to 77,000 professionals.

These are impressive results, especially for a firm that’s delivering services in a field that many are saying will be replaced by AI.

So, who is the leader behind this transformation?

Julie Sweet!

Sweet is the current chair and CEO of Accenture who took on the chief executive role in 2019 after leading the firm’s North America business in 2015. She also served as the company’s general counsel in 2010.

Prior to her joining Accenture, she spent 17 years as a corporate lawyer specializing in financing and mergers and acquisitions. 

Since becoming CEO in 2019, Sweet has helped Accenture grow its market capitalization from over USD 90 billion in 2019 to nearly USD 170 billion in 2025. 

This rapid growth has been partly attributed to her acquisitions strategy, which has helped the company acquire expertise in data, analytics, and AI. 

Also, instead of pulling back on hiring like other firms have done, she has grown her company’s headcount from 460,000 six years ago to nearly 780,000 as of 2025.

… and speaking of AI, Sweet has fully embraced this technology, underscoring its importance as a value add and not a threat to the services her company is offering. According to her,  “AI is only a technology”  and the value it delivers comes from the reinvention of how the workforce goes about its work.

Her efforts have earned both industry transformation and personal recognition, including spots on  Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list and  Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Business and Most Powerful People in Business lists.

That said, how has she pivoted a global consulting firm operating in over 120 countries and become one of the most influential and recognizable names in the field of business?

• Prioritizing Continuous Learning
  
  As mentioned before, Sweet is a believer in reinvention… and to her, the mechanism that makes that possible is  learning.
  
  In an interview held by  Columbia Business School, she said learning is a cornerstone of Accenture’s corporate culture and this is reflected in an annual spend of over USD 1 billion in training investments.
  
  She’s also said in another interview that the skill Accenture looks for in every employee is one’s ability to learn. 
  
  More importantly, Sweet emphasized that rather than waiting for the right skills to crop up in the jobs market, every organization must build talent from within—a feat only achieved through a culture that values learning.
  
  
• Committing to Reinvention
  
  Since taking on the role of CEO, Sweet has consistently prioritized the importance of constant reinvention and improvement.
  
  Aside from pivoting her firm towards AI, she also overhauled its operating model years prior. This transformation is what enabled the company to grab opportunities in areas such as cloud computing and digital operations.
  
  
• Aiming for Growth
  
  For Sweet, improving a business isn’t just about boosting efficiency but also chasing growth. In her mind, AI is a growth driver and not just a productivity enhancer. 
  
  She’s even said that discussions are now shifting from productivity to how AI can be used to boost growth.

Given these qualities, it’s unsurprising to know that Sweet has attained enormous levels of success at the highest levels of the corporate world… and what’s even more remarkable is that she's done all this in less than a decade!

However, these aren’t just the only traits that have gotten her this far. 

There’s a far more important factor that’s led to her success:  Humility.

According to Sweet, leaders should be humble enough to know when to pivot, especially in the face of rapid change… and this is exactly what has powered her strategic moves in the past few years. 

So, if you’re looking for an example to emulate, or if you’re someone who just wants to level up his or her professional life, then Sweet’s story is a compelling example!

Her career as an executive thus far has embodied the importance of humility and adaptability in the face of massive change.

Hope you’ve found this week’s topic interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Monday’s Marketing Marvels!

Long before they were crowned the U.K.’s most beloved presenters, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were just two teenagers cast in a  BBC kids ’ drama called “Byker Grove” in the late ‘80s.

Learn more about  the Ant & Dec duo  in next week’s article!