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Accenture Announces Intent to Acquire OpusLine and Create a Dedicated Health Practice in France

·8 min read

Acquisition would enhance Accenture’s comprehensive services to public- and private-sector companies across the health, life sciences and insurance industries

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Paris-based OpusLine, one of the leading consulting companies that provides strategic advisory and transformational services to public- and private-sector healthcare providers as well as life sciences and insurance companies in France.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201027005133/en/

Accenture to acquire OpusLine (Graphic: Business Wire)

Following the acquisition of OpusLine, Accenture would be better positioned to provide health industry clients with the latest innovations in areas such as data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) and support the health ecosystem with highly differentiated services.

"Our intent to acquire OpusLine is aligned with our development strategy and underscores our commitment to the health industry, which is a fast-growing sector for Accenture and also for society as a whole," said Olivier Girard, market unit lead for Accenture France & Benelux. "OpusLine’s extensive industry knowledge complements Accenture’s deep technology expertise and would provide our clients in France with even greater access to local and global industry expertise as they embrace new technologies and processes."

Founded in 2012, OpusLine is one of France’s largest independent health consulting companies, employing more than 85 consultants. Following the acquisition, OpusLine’s employees would join the newly created Health practice of Accenture Strategy & Consulting and enhance its ability to help clients innovate and deliver digital innovation across their organizations.

"The opportunity to become part of Accenture presents tremendous new opportunities for our business, our clients and our people," said Alix Pradere, OpusLine’s founder and associate partner. "We are particularly excited about the opportunity to leverage Accenture’s capabilities in digital and cybersecurity to deliver enhanced patient and customer experiences and to also ensure we remain at the forefront of industry innovation."

Aliette Leleux, managing director of Accenture’s insurance industry practice in France, said: "The transformation and the digitalization of the healthcare and insurance industries are a priority for stakeholders across the public and private sectors. OpusLine’s talented team of professionals would support our objective of providing clients with efficient and innovative solutions that integrate the latest technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and cybersecurity."

This transaction follows other healthcare- and life sciences-related acquisitions by Accenture in recent years, including the 2019 acquisitions of Clarity Insights, Knowledgent and Enterprise System Partners, and the 2017 acquisition of LabAnswer.

Accenture invested nearly $1.5 billion globally on 34 acquisitions in its 2020 fiscal year to acquire critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth areas of the market.

The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and would be subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. For a discussion of risks and actions taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see "Our results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic" under Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in Accenture plc’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended May 31, 2020. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and OpusLine will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties’ ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture’s contracts include fees subject to the attainment of targets or specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders’ ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201027005133/en/

Contacts

Velislava Le Fevre
Accenture
+33 1 53 23 46 18
velislava.lefevre@accenture.com

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