Accenture has acquired Kates Kesler, an organization design consultancy from New York City. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This is M&A deal number 202 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2020. See the complete M&A deal list here.
Kates Kesler works with large companies to help them execute their growth strategies. The company will be folded into Accenture’s Talent & Organization / Human Potential practice, Accenture says.
Kates Kesler’s offerings will expand Accenture’s existing C-suite services including: People Experience, Organization, Leadership & Culture, Work & Workforce, Digital Core, Business & Change Agility, Intelligent Operating Model and Living Systems, the firm said.
Kates Kesler was founded in 2010 by Amy Kates and Greg Kesler. In addition to consulting, the firm helps its clients build internal capability, including through executive education programs with leading universities globally.
Executive Perspectives
Eva Sage-Gavin, who leads Accenture’s Global Talent & Organization / Human Potential practice, commented on the deal:
“Many of our clients were already shifting their operating models in response to dramatic changes in their business strategies even before the COVID-19 global pandemic hit. Kates Kesler’s recognized experts and leading methodology are a natural complement to our existing offerings in this area and will enhance our ability to outmaneuver today’s never normal for and with our clients.”
Amy Kates added:
“Sharing our work with clients and building the field of organization design have always been priorities for us, and joining Accenture scales that ambition to new highs.”
Greg Kesler, Kates Kesler’s other co-founder, added:
“The opportunity to scale what we do and bring the strategy, technology and innovation assets of Accenture to bear in our organization work is an exciting vision.”
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Accenture Acquisition Budget
Accenture’s acquisition plays have continued unabated despite the global coronavirus pandemic. The company’s acquisition budget for fiscal year 2020 is $1.6 billion, CFO KC McClure told Wall Street analysts during an earnings call in mid-March 2020.
As of that time, the global IT services provider and consulting firm had spent $584 million on 17 acquisitions in this fiscal year, McClure indicated. ChannelE2E doesn’t know if the M&A budget has changed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s a detailed list of Accenture acquisitions spanning dozens of deals.