Accenture Names Manish Sharma, an Advocate for Inclusion and Diversity, as Chief Operating Officer
- He most recently served as group chief executive — operations, overseeing a comprehensive intelligent operations portfolio.
Information technology (IT) services and consulting company Accenture has named Manish Sharma as the chief operating officer, effective March 1. In his new role, Sharma will lead Accenture’s “business operations and executing business strategy, protecting the company’s people and infrastructure,” according to a company press release. He replaces Jo Deblaere, who has served as a chief operating officer since 2009. The company also named Yusuf Tayob, currently the market unit lead for the Midwest, as the new group chief executive — Operations, effective March 1.
Sharma is a 27-year veteran of the company and a member of the company’s Global Management Committee. He most recently served as group chief executive — Operations, overseeing a comprehensive intelligent operations portfolio.
A strong advocate for inclusion and diversity, Sharma has played a key role in fostering gender equality in Operations. Sharma founded the Accenture Rural program, which allows the company to partner with small business process services firms based in rural areas and provide employment opportunities to qualified youths, improving their standard of living, financial independence. He and his wife also have established a trust that focuses on children’s education in India.
“Manish brings enormous expertise and extensive knowledge of what our clients need and how to digitally transform,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture. “In his new role, Manish’s client centricity will continue to build our shared success with our clients as we help them transform every area of their businesses, and his commitment to inclusion and diversity will further strengthen our effort to create 360° Value for all our stakeholders.”
Sharma joined Accenture in 1995 and became a managing director in 2004. Before Accenture, Sharma worked for a leading Chartered Accountant and management consultancy firm in India.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Operations Management from Mumbai (Bombay) University.
