“If you want to get promoted, you’ve got to do the things that we do to operate Accenture. These are the new tools to operate a company. We didn’t go from zero to ‘you won’t get promoted’ in a month. It’s over three years of getting used to the technology, making sure it’s user-friendly, making sure we have the right workbench for people to use, and then saying, Hey, this is Accenture and how we operate,” Julie Sweet said during the Rapid Response podcast, hosted in March 2026.

Asserting that AI is now the main tool for work, the Accenture CEO compared the technology’s push to the use of computers in offices.

“No one would have said that requiring someone to use a computer is coercion. It’s how the companies were going to get work done. Today, AI at Accenture is how we do work,” she said.

In September 2025, Accenture invested more than USD 865 million in a six-month business optimisation programme. The roadmap advocated for reskilling thousands of employees with AI, while removing those who declined to adapt to the tech. In fact, as Generative AI emerged in 2023, with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the IT giant unveiled an ambitious three-year plan worth USD 3 billion to bring the technology into the core of its organisational fold. As part of this initiative, the venture set out a goal of expanding its AI talent pool to 80,000 professionals, through new hiring, strategic acquisitions and large-scale training programmes. Today, the consulting giant has a workforce of more than 770,000 employees worldwide.

During her interaction with the podcast host Bob Safian, Julie Sweet also acknowledged the challenges of adapting to a new technology. Further stating that organisations prefer practicing caution about bringing AI into their operations, the Accenture boss stated that companies cannot simply add the technology to their outdated systems and expect quick results. Instead, they need to redesign their workflows around the technology.

Julie Sweet’s Vision

Born in 1967 in Tustin, California, Julie Sweet started her academic career at Claremont McKenna College, where she majored in international relations and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. She later enrolled at Columbia Law School to learn more about law and international affairs. In 1992, she graduated with a Juris Doctor from that institution, a significant achievement that influenced the beginning of her professional career.

In 2023, Julie Sweet became the highest-paid woman CEO, earning approximately USD 34 million, after starting her career as an attorney at the prestigious law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore and eventually becoming the CEO of Accenture. Her career success has also translated into personal wealth, with a net worth estimated to be between USD 75 million and USD 126 million, reportedly based on public filings and her stock holdings.

Under her leadership, Accenture has doubled down on AI as the core of its business principles. In March 2026, it made an investment in DaVinci Commerce, a leader in agentic AI-powered commerce, where AI systems increasingly shape the discovery, evaluation and purchase of products.

With AI becoming a primary interface for shopping, commerce is transforming from a human-led search to browsing to AI agents, which take over the tasks like researching, recommending and transacting on behalf of consumers.

“Accenture will now work with DaVinci Commerce to help clients operationalise agentic commerce across the full value chain—from discovery and merchandising through checkout, fulfilment and loyalty. The collaboration reflects growing demand from brands looking to modernise owned commerce platforms and commerce media strategies for AI-driven engagement,” the IT giant announced.

Accenture has also agreed to acquire Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence, competitive benchmarking and customer experience analytics. By integrating Ookla’s data products like Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau, and RootMetrics, Accenture will help Communications Service Providers (CSPs), hyperscalers, and enterprises optimise the mission-critical Wi-Fi and 5G networks that power their digital core.

While the AI era is witnessing rapid layoffs in tech sectors, as companies pursue lean, productive and performance-driven organisational structures, Accenture is increasing its recruitment of entry-level professionals across global markets, with Julie Sweet holding the view that recent graduates may actually be better prepared to thrive in an AI-powered workplace.

Given that these graduates are tech-savvy in their academic and professional routines, the Accenture CEO believes that familiarity with technology will give Accenture’s fresh hires an advantage over the legacy workforce. Instead of following the trend of eliminating junior roles in exchange for AI, the IT venture is restructuring job responsibilities to align with the technology’s growing use.

Along with automating repetitive tasks, Accenture is placing greater push on human-driven capabilities such as problem-solving, strategic thinking and communication, with Julie Sweet telling the Rapid Response podcast that entry-level roles will remain essential, as they serve as the foundation for developing future experienced professionals.

“Training programmes for new hires have also been redesigned. The company is placing a stronger focus on communication skills, strategic thinking and the practical use of AI technologies,” she added.

AI has also emerged as Accenture’s growth engine, as it reported advanced AI bookings of about USD 2.2 billion in the first quarter of FY26, reflecting strong year-on-year growth, while revenues related to the technology reached roughly USD 1.1 billion. Since FY25, the firm has secured around USD 11.5 billion worth of advanced AI projects, earning about USD 4.8 billion.

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