Accenture in German digital and US innovation drives
Accenture will acquire German digital agency SinnerSchrader to boost its Accenture Interactive services in the country. Also, the company plans to launch ten new innovation hubs in the US in the next three years.
Accenture has agreed to purchase a 62% majority of SinnerSchrader shares from co-founder and CEO Matthias Schrader, CFO Thomas Dyckhoff, and other shareholders. Accenture also plans to launch a public tender offer to all remaining shareholders.
SinnerSchrader and Accenture Interactive will jointly develop digital strategies, and mobile and ecommerce offerings. Schrader will retain his role as CEO of the company and, after a transition period, lead the joint digital agency business of Accenture Interactive in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Accenture hub in Houston
SinnerSchrader has around 500 employees in studios in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague and Hanover. One of its clients includes online Comdirect Bank in Germany.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in H1 2017.
Houston is hot tonight
In addition to the SinnerSchrader deal, Accenture says by the end of 2020 it will open ten new innovation hubs in the US and expand its regional network of technology delivery centres.
It will invest $1.4 billion in training and says it will create 15,000 new jobs in the US. These new jobs will increase Accenture’s total workforce in the US to more than 65,000 people, an increase of 30% by the end of 2020.
As part of this plan, it unveiled a new hub in Houston this week.
