Accenture, including its creative unit Accenture Song, is aligning career progression with AI adoption.
The consulting group confirmed the promotion strategy, adding that the business aims to be the “most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work”, which requires “the adoption of the latest tools and technologies."
An Accenture spokesperson said: “Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work. That requires the adoption of the latest tools and technologies to serve our clients most effectively.”
Accenture reportedly told associate directors and senior managers that promotion to leadership positions would require “regular adoption” of AI, according to an internal email seen by the Financial Times.
“Use of our key tools will be a visible input to talent discussions” during this summer’s leadership-level promotion decisions, the email said.
Accenture employs more than 779,000 people globally and claimed in its 2025 annual report that 550,000 staff are trained on AI. In 2025, the consulting giant invested US$1billion (£740 million) in learning and professional development.
Accenture and Accenture Song’s alignment of AI to career progression includes agencies TMW and Droga5.
Accenture Song claimed US$20 billion (£15 billion) in revenue for its 2025 annual results, contributing 29% to Accenture’s total revenue of US$69.67 billion. In 2024, Accenture Song had a UK workforce of 755, according to Campaign’s School Reports. This figure excluded TMW and Droga5, which reported 360 and 70 staff members in the UK respectively in 2024.
The consultancy also began collecting data on weekly log-ins to its AI tools by some senior staff employees, the FT reported.
Accenture has been focusing its strategy on “reinvention”, launching a “reinvention unit” in September 2025, combining Song with Strategy, Consulting, Technology and Operations arms under the leadership of Manish Sharma as chief strategy and services officer.
Ndidi Oteh was hired in September as global chief executive of Accenture Song, taking over from David Droga. Speaking at Campaign Live in September, Oteh said that Song “helps to change Accenture” in terms of driving impact and change.
In January, Accenture Song retired the Unlimited brand, which it bought in April 2024, but retained the TMW brand, and it will now encompass the previously separate Nelson Bostock and Sport Unlimited agencies.
Source: Campaign UK
