Former Accenture chairman and CEO Pierre Nanterme has passed away on Thursday. He was 59. On January 11, 2019 Nanterme had stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer of IT consultng major for health reasons. According to reports, Nanterme was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. Twenty days after stepping down as CEO, on 31 January 2019, Nanterme died in France.
In a statement Accenture said, “With great sadness, Accenture (NYSE:ACN) announces that Pierre Nanterme, former Chairman and CEO of Accenture, passed away today. The company extends its sincerest condolences to his family in this difficult time and expresses its enduring gratitude for his decades of leadership and inspiration.”
Over his 36-year career at Accenture, Nanterme played critical roles in driving the company's growth. He became chief executive officer in January 2011 and assumed the additional position of chairman of the board in February 2013.
During his tenure as Chairman and CEO, Nanterme transformed Accenture with the rotation of its business to new digital services, while consistently delivering strong financial results. He established Accenture as a magnet for a diverse range of top talent, with a commitment to continuously investing to ensure its people have the most relevant and differentiated skills. His impact on Accenture's clients was significant.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss,” said Marge Magner, non-executive chair of the board. “Pierre was an innovative and visionary leader who, above all, lived the company's core values with a true passion for our people and an exceptional commitment to clients. He was an outstanding advocate for creating a culture of equality at Accenture. His energy, drive and leadership will be sorely missed.”
Nanterme was also an outspoken advocate for the company's commitment to inclusion and diversity, including gender equality, and set an ambitious new target of achieving a gender-balanced workforce by 2025.
“Pierre was an iconic and exceptional leader, and an extraordinary individual in every way,” said David Rowland, interim chief executive officer. “His innate drive to create value, and his vision to rotate our business to new growth areas, has left Accenture stronger for generations to come. He was deeply committed to our people and had infectious energy and humor — inspiring all of us to be curious, continuously learn and innovate. We are forever grateful to Pierre for the impact he made.”
On behalf of @SAP, deepest condolences to our friends @Accenture on the loss of Pierre Nanterme. Not enough room to describe the full measure of the man. Class, character & integrity personified. May his family get comfort from all the lives he made better. RIP, good friend.
— Bill McDermott (@BillRMcDermott) January 31, 2019
SAP CEO Bill McDermott said in a tweet, “On behalf of @SAP, deepest condolences to our friends @Accenture on the loss of Pierre Nanterme. Not enough room to describe the full measure of the man. Class, character & integrity personified. May his family get comfort from all the lives he made better. RIP, good friend.”
His alma mater, ESSEC Business School, the students of the Accenture Strategic Business Analytics chair payed tribute during their Intake for his contributions to ESSEC and the Chair in particular.
