Accenture Announces Intent to Acquire Strategy and Business Management Consultancy Exton Consulting

By AIT News Desk On Jun 21, 2021

Acquisition would enhance Accenture’s capabilities to help clients accelerate and scale their transformation projects across the financial services industry

Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire Exton Consulting, a French consulting firm providing strategy and business management support to financial services clients across Europe. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Paris, France, Exton Consulting helps executive boards at major banks and insurance companies successfully manage growth and transformation projects in various markets across Europe. The team of approximately 150 highly skilled professionals would join Accenture’s Financial Services industry group and strengthen its ability to offer innovative end-to-end solutions to a broader range of financial services companies, covering all aspects of their transformation projects including strategy, design, technology, and operations.

Olivier Girard, market unit lead for Accenture France & Benelux, said: “Our intent to acquire Exton Consulting is part of our overall growth strategy to expand critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth areas of the market. It underscores our commitment to the financial services industry, which is facing unprecedented transformation driven by economic and geopolitical uncertainties, regulatory challenges, digital transformation, urgency to reinvent the client experience, and the need to rethink operating models. This acquisition would cement Accenture’s standing as a leading Strategy & Consulting firm for Financial Services clients in France and beyond, taking our innovative end-to-end solutions to new levels of speed and scale.”

Cedric Vatier, Strategy & Consulting Lead for Accenture France & Benelux, said: “The major challenges that our financial services clients face today are global, and clients need holistic solutions to address them and to turn them into new opportunities. The acquisition of Exton Consulting would enhance our ability to leverage the combination of our talented group of people with the latest technologies—such as artificial intelligence, data, and cloud—to help clients embrace change, accelerate transformation, unlock value, and build new sustainable models that benefit all.”

“For 15 years, Exton Consulting’s team has been supporting the Financial Services sector companies in their transformation, from strategy to implementation. Today, driven by the digitalization of the economy different spheres of business advisory are now coming together. We are excited about the opportunity to join Accenture, which would allow us to accelerate our strategy. The combination of innovation, technology and data skills with our expertise would help us offer highly differentiated, end-to-end services to an even-broader client base, both existing and future,” said Philippe Derambure, co-founder of Exton Consulting.

The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and is subject to customary closing conditions.