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1、Fiscal 2023Driving reinvention,delivering 360 valueAnnual ReportWe achieved another strong year of financial performance in fiscal 2023,with record new bookings,continued adjusted operating margin expansion and adjusted EPS growth,and very strong cash flow,driving shareholder value creation.These re
2、sults continue to enable us to deliver 360 value for all our stakeholders.For 12 months ended August 31,2023Revenues$64.1BAn increase of 8%in local currency and 4%in U.S.dollarsNew bookings$72.2BA 5%increase in local currency and 1%in U.S.dollars,with a book-to-bill of 1.1Diluted earnings per share(
3、Adjusted)$11.67A 9%increase,after adjusting fiscal 2023 GAAP EPS of$10.77 to exclude the impact of business optimization costs of$1.28 per share and an investment gain of$0.38 per share.On a GAAP basis,full-year FY23 EPS increased 1%Operating margin(Adjusted)15.4%An expansion of 20 basis points,afte
4、r adjusting fiscal 2023 GAAP operating margin of 13.7%to exclude business optimization costs of 170 basis points.On a GAAP basis,full-year FY23 operating margin decreased 150 bpsFree cash flow$9.0BDefined as operating cash flow of$9.5 billion net of property and equipment additions of$528 millionCas
5、h returned to shareholders$7.2BDefined as cash dividends of$2.8 billion plus share repurchases of$4.3 billion1I am writing to share the 360 value we created in fiscal year 2023,our view on the reinvention landscape ahead and the power of AI in reinvention.While the pace of spending has changed,the f
6、undamentals have not.All strategies continue to lead to technology,and companies will need to reinvent every part of their enterprise using tech,data and AI to optimize operations and accelerate growth.Despite the cautious macroeconomic environment,we are well-positioned for the future.From our Chai
7、r and CEO2Our laser focus on creating 360 value for our clients and all our stakeholders is reflected in our overall strong results for the year.With record new bookings of$72 billion,we had a record 106 clients with quarterly bookings greater than$100 million in fiscal 2023,an increase from 100 las
8、t year.We now have 300 Diamond clients,our largest client relationships,an increase of 33 from last year,demonstrating yet again the depth and breadth of our capabilities and the trust our clients have in us.Our brand is strongour ranking on BrandZs Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list rose from
9、 No.26 to No.22,our highest to date,with a brand value of$73.6 billion.We delivered revenues of$64 billion for the year,representing 8%growth in local currency while continuing to take market share.We expanded adjusted operating margin by 20 basis points and delivered adjusted EPS growth of 9%while
10、continuing to significantly invest in our business and our people,with capital deployed of$2.5 billion across 25 acquisitions;$1.3 billion in R&D,assets,platforms and industry solutions;and$1.1 billion invested in the learning and professional development of our people.We generated free cash flow of
11、$9 billion,allowing us to return over$7 billion of cash to shareholders.And we are delivering a little ahead of schedule on our business optimization actions we announced in March to reduce structural costs to create greater resilience.We also continued to attract,retain and inspire outstanding peop
12、le through our talent strategy.We are making progress toward our commitment to net zero by 2025,and we invested in our communities to help ensure we have vibrant places where we work and live.Read on for more detail.360 Value in Fiscal Year 20233Our ongoing investments$2.5BDeployed across 25 strateg
13、ic acquisitions to scale our business in high-growth areas,add skills and capabilities in new areas and deepen our industry and functional expertise$1.3BInvested in research and development in our assets,platforms and industry and functional solutions$1.1BInvested in learning and professional develo
14、pment 4Our strong results for fiscal 2023 reflect our constant focus on the needs of our clients,the uniqueness and breadth of our services and industry expertise,and the commitment and dedication of our 733,000 talented people.Julie Sweet5The Reinvention AheadAs we enter FY24,we know that there is
15、more reinvention ahead of us than behind us.Our clients have even greater opportunities to transform,and we continue to be their partner of choice.At the center of reinvention is the digital core.We continue to see significant demand in areas like cloud migration and modernization,modern ERP and dat
16、a and AI,and the emergence of generative AI in particular,all of which represent areas of great opportunity.And it is still early.For example,we estimate that only 40%of workloads are in the cloud,only 1/3 of clients have modernized their ERP platforms,and less than 10%have what we define as mature
17、data and AI capabilities.We believe helping build a strong digital core and then using it to reinvent will be the drivers of our clients reinvention and of our growth.Our ability to advise,shape and deliver value-led transformationleveraging the breadth of our services from strategy and consulting t
18、o technology to our managed services across industries and geographic markets,along with our privileged position with our ecosystem partnersis what makes Accenture unique.6Core to our success is our ability to attract,retain and inspire our outstanding talent.We continue to lead in our ability to at
19、tract people with different backgrounds,different perspectives,and different lived experiences.These differences help ensure that we can attract the cognitive diversity to deliver a variety of perspectives,observations and insights that are critical to drive the innovation needed to reinvent.Our suc
20、cess is reflected in being the top-scoring company on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the second year in a row,and we also earned the#1 position on the Refinitiv Global Diversity&Inclusion Index for the fourth time in six years.This index ranks over 15,000 organizations globally and identifi
21、es the top 100 publicly traded companies with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces.We want our people to feel they are Net Better Off for working at Accenture.This strategy has four dimensionspeople feeling healthy and well,physically,emotionally and financially;feeling connected with a sense o
22、f belonging;feeling their work has purpose;and feeling they are continuing to build market-360 Value for Our People,Planet and Communitiesrelevant skills.This year,for example,our people participated in approximately 40 million training hours.We want all our people to believe that Accenture is the b
23、est place to achieve their aspirations,both personally and professionally.And this year we were a recipient of the Brandon Hall Gold Award for best benefits,wellness and well-being programs.Building on our long-standing commitment to the environment,we are pleased to have hit a significant milestone
24、 on our path to net zero,achieving our goal of 100%renewable electricity across our Accenture offices.Additionally,we reused or recycled nearly 100%of our e-waste in fiscal 2023 and have eliminated single-use plastics in our office locations by purchasing reusable and plastic-free items.Vibrant comm
25、unities are also important for our business success,and we continue to prioritize creating value in these communities around the world.For example,Accenture is helping to welcome refugees,recognizing how they enrich our communities with their courage,strength and talent.On World Refugee Day in June
26、2023,we committed to partner with organizations to help skill and support an estimated 16,000 refugee job seekers and migrants and to hire 100 refugees in Europe over the next three years.7100%We reached our goal of 100%renewable electricity across our Accenture officesAchieved our goal123,000We cel
27、ebrated 123,000 promotions,demonstrating our continued commitment to creating vibrant careers and opportunities for our peoplePromoted our people40M training hoursWe delivered approximately 40 million training hoursInvested in our people8We are entering the age of AI.AI will be a mega-trend,reinvent
28、ing businesses,industries and the way we live and work.Our research shows that one form of AI,generative AI,has the potential to be a significant driver of reinvention.Accenture has been working with AI for more than 15 years,and we believe that it is in a place similar to where cloud was over a dec
29、ade agofundamental to the future,but still maturing.Just as we successfully did with SaaS and with cloud,we are investing to take an early lead and have positioned Accenture to help clients act on AI.AI and ReinventionIn June,we announced an industry-leading$3 billion investment in our Data&AI pract
30、ice over the next three years.We plan on doubling our AI talent to 80,000 people and expect to invest in assets,industry solutions,ventures and acquisitions.We appointed a Chief AI Officer,launched a global generative AI Center of Excellence,and created comprehensive AI training for our entire workf
31、orce.While still in the early stages,generative AI technology is maturing rapidly,and we believe it will be a significant source of value for us and our clients over time.Some of the key ingredients of our success in generative AI are ecosystem partnerships,talent and responsible AI.9An industry-lea
32、ding$3 Billioninvestment in our Data&AI practice over the next three years 10generative AI,the pace and impact are growing rapidly.And we are now taking a further step to equip more than 250,000 people with skills to use new AI tools equitably,sustainably and without bias.Responsible AI is essential
33、.At Accenture,we have an industry-leading responsible AI compliance program that is embedded in how we use and deliver AI.And we are using our experience and lessons learned to help our clients build out their own responsible AI program,which is necessary to address the risks and get the full value
34、from AI.Finally,we are embracing generative AI across our services,developing new cutting-edge tools and solutions and embedding it in the way we work.Our approach takes into account where the technology is today,the need to deploy it responsibly,and the recognition that we do work in highly complex
35、 environments.The extent and pace of this generative AI progression will become clearer over the coming quarters as the technology and the market continue to mature and progress.As always,we are starting with deep relationships and leadership in the ecosystem,from the hyperscalers to the model build
36、ers,to the startups and academics.It is important to emphasize that we are early in the maturity of generative AI for enterpriseand our depth,experience and insight on these platforms are essential to guiding our clients.Second,talent.We start with a deep technical knowledge and understanding of AI
37、and generative AI and blend that with our industry and functional expertise to reinvent across the enterprise,including processes and operating models,bringing together the depth and breadth of our expertise.And that is where Accenture is different,building the bridge from as is to the future.We hav
38、e already trained approximately 600,000 of our people in the fundamentals of AI.Now with 11 Live our unwavering commitment to inclusion,diversity and equality,as demonstrated by personal impact and overall results;Have the courage to change and the ability to bring our people along the journey;and A
39、ctively innovateseeking new answers,applying a tech,AI and data first mindset,looking internally across Accenture and outsideto partners,competitors,start-ups,clients,academia and analyststo learn,respectfully challenge our assumptions and apply the innovation,and cultivate and reward our people for
40、 doing the same.As we close,we want to remind you of our Leadership Essentials,which are critical to the trust we have with our clients and people and our ability to navigate tough macros as well as rapidly innovate as we have done in generative AI.We nurture and develop these leadership essentials
41、at all levels of the organization,as this is critical to our long-term resilience and growth.Our Leadership Essentials set the standard for what we expect of each leader and enable us to successfully create 360 value.Always do the right thing,in every decision and action;Lead with excellence,confide
42、nce and humility,as demonstrated by being a learner,building great teams and being naturally collaborative;Exemplify client-centricity and a commitment to client value creation;Act as a true partner,to each other,our clients,our ecosystem and our communitiescommitted to shared success;Care deeply fo
43、r all our people to help them achieve their aspirations professionally and personally;Our Leadership Essentials12Delivering 360 value to all our stakeholders has never been more important as they embrace change in a fast-moving world.I want to thank each of our incredibly talented people around the
44、world for their hard work and commitment to delivering this value every day.And to our clients,shareholders,partners and communities:your ongoing trust and support help us make Accenture the best it can be,every day.Thank you for the trust you place in Accenture.We look forward to the reinvention th
45、at is ahead for us all.Julie Sweet Chair and Chief Executive Officer October 12,2023 Thank You13The performance graph to the right shows the cumulative total shareholder return on our Class A shares for the period starting on August 31,2018,and ending on August 31,2023,which was the end of fiscal 20
46、23.This is compared with the cumulative total returns over the same period of the S&P 500 Stock Index and the S&P 500 Information Technology Sector Index.The graph assumes that,on August 31,2018,$100 was invested in our Class A shares and$100 was invested in each of the other two indices,with divide
47、nds reinvested on the ex-dividend date without payment of any commissions.The performance shown in the graph represents past performance and should not be considered an indication of future performance.Comparison of Cumulative Total ReturnIndexed Prices as of August 31201820192020202120222023Accentu
48、re$100$119$147$209$181$206S&P 500 Index$100$103$125$165$146$169S&P 500 IT Sector Index$100$107$168$218$187$249August 31,2018August 31,2023 Accenture vs.S&P 500 Stock Index and S&P 500 Information Technology Sector Index201920182020202120222023$0$50$100$150$200$250$300S&P 500 IndexS&P 500 Information
49、 Technology Sector IndexAccenture$35014Awards&RecognitionBrandZ Most Valuable Global BrandsNo.22 with a brand value of$73.6B;marking 18 consecutive years on listBrand Finance Most Valuable IT Services BrandsNo.1 for the 5th consecutive year with a brand value of$39.9BBusiness Today Indias Best Compa
50、nies to Work ForNo.2,marking 12 consecutive years among the Top 10FORTUNE Global 500No.220,marking 22 consecutive years on listFORTUNE Most Powerful WomenChair and CEO Julie Sweet No.2 for the 2nd consecutive yearFORTUNE Worlds Most Admired CompaniesNo.1 in our industry for 10 years,No.32 overall,ma
51、rking 21 consecutive years on listAVTAR&Seramount Best Companies for Women in IndiaTop 10 for 8 consecutive years;Hall of Fame since 2020AVTAR&Seramount Most Inclusive Companies Index in India“Champions of Inclusion”for 5 consecutive yearsBloomberg Gender-Equality IndexTop scoring company for 2 cons
52、ecutive yearsBrandon Hall Group Excellence in Human Capital Management AwardsTop winner for 8 consecutive years;recognized this year for DEI,Future of Work,HR,Leadership Development,Learning&Development,Sales Performance,Talent Acquisition and Talent ManagementCannes Lions Accenture Song won 9 Lions
53、,including the prestigious Titanium Grand PrixDisability:IN Disability Equality IndexAmong top-scoring companies for 7 consecutive yearsEthisphere Worlds Most Ethical Companies16 consecutive yearsFair360 Top 50 Companies for Diversity in the U.S.Hall of Fame;No.1 in 2022;16 consecutive years on list
54、Forbes Global 2000No.160,marking 20 consecutive years on listMinshu Top Employers in JapanNo.1 in our industry,No.21 overall,8 consecutive years on listRefinitiv Global Diversity&Inclusion IndexNo.1 for the 4th time in 6 years,8 consecutive years on listThe Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality
55、 in the U.K.8 consecutive yearsWorkplace Pride Global BenchmarkAmong the highest-scoring companies for 7 consecutive yearsGreat Place to Work Best Workplaces No.17 on Worlds Best Workplaces;No.15 in Asia and Latin America;Top 10 in 7 countries:Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Indonesia,Mexico,Philippines,and
56、U.S.Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality IndexAmong top-scoring companies in Argentina,Chile,Mexico and U.S.JUST Capital Americas Most JUST CompaniesNo.1 in our industry,No.4 overall,7 consecutive years on listLATINA Style 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work for in the U.S.No.1,marking 10 cons
57、ecutive years on list15current expectations,estimates,assumptions and projections.Words such as“will,”“plan,”“believe”and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements.These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks,uncertainties and assumption
58、s that are difficult to predict.Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate.Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in these forward-looking statements.Risks,uncertainties and other factors t
59、hat might cause such differences,some of which could be material,include,but are not limited to,the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q(available through the Investor Relations section of our website at )under the sections entitled“Risk Factors.”Our
60、 forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this letter or as of the date they are made,and we undertake no obligation to update them,notwithstanding any historical practice of doing so.Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address our corporate responsibility p
61、rogress,plans and goals(including environmental matters),and the inclusion of such statements is not an indication that these contents are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in the Companys filings with the SEC.In addition,historical,current and forward-looking sustainabil
62、ity-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing,internal controls and processes that continue to evolve,and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.Reconciliation of non-GAAP measuresThis letter contains certain non-GAAP(Generally Accept
63、ed Accounting Principles)measures that our management believes provide our shareholders with additional insights into Accentures results of operations.The non-GAAP measures in this letter are supplemental in nature.They should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income as indica
64、tors of company performance,to cash flows from operating activities as measures of liquidity,or to other financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.Reconciliations of this non-GAAP financial information to Accentures financial statements as prepared under GAAP are included in this report
65、.Stock listingAccenture plc Class A ordinary shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ACN.Available informationOur website address is .We use our website as a channel of distribution for company information.We make available free of charge on the Investor Relations section o
66、f our website()our Annual Report on Form 10-K,Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission(the“SEC”)pursuant to
67、Section 13(a)or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934(the“Exchange Act”).We also make available through our website other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC under the Exchange Act,including our proxy statements and reports filed by officers and directors under Section 16(a)of the Excha
68、nge Act,as well as our Code of Business Ethics.Financial and other material information regarding Accenture is routinely posted on and accessible at .We do not intend for information contained in this letter or on our website to be part of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.This letter and our Annual Re
69、port on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31,2023(including the sections of our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2024 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders incorporated by reference),together constitute Accentures annual report to security holders for purposes of Rule 14a-3(b)of
70、the Exchange Act.Trademark references Rights to trademarks referenced herein,other than Accenture trademarks,belong to their respective owners.We disclaim proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.Forward-looking statements and certain factors that may affect our businessWe have included
71、 in this letter“forward-looking statements”within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act relating to our operations,results of operations and other matters that are based on our All amounts throughout this letter are stated in U.S.dollars,except
72、where noted.16UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington,D.C.20549FORM 10-K Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934For the fiscal year ended August 31,2023Commission File Number:001-34448 Accenture plc(Exact name of registrant as specified
73、in its charter)Ireland98-0627530(State or other jurisdiction ofincorporation or organization)(I.R.S.Employer Identification No.)1 Grand Canal Square,Grand Canal Harbour,Dublin 2,Ireland(Address of principal executive offices)(353)(1)646-2000(Registrants telephone number,including area code)Securitie
74、s registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act:Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registeredClass A ordinary shares,par value$0.0000225 per shareACNNew York Stock ExchangeSecurities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)of the Act:NoneIndicate by check mark if the reg
75、istrant is a well-known seasoned issuer,as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant(1)ha
76、s filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports),and(2)has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.Yes No Indica
77、te by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(232.405 of this chapter)during the preceding 12 months(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).Ye
78、s No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer,an accelerated filer,a non-accelerated filer,smaller reporting company,or an emerging growth company.See the definitions of“large accelerated filer,”“accelerated filer,”“smaller reporting company,”and“emerging growth com
79、pany”in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.Large accelerated filerAccelerated filerNon-accelerated filerSmaller reporting companyEmerging growth companyIf an emerging growth company,indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new
80、or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a)of the Exchange Act.Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its managements assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b)
81、of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act(15 U.S.C.7262(b)by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act,indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the co
82、rrection of an error to previously issued financial statements.Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrants executive officers during the relevant recovery period pu
83、rsuant to 240.10D-1(b).Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company(as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).Yes No The aggregate market value of the common equity of the registrant held by non-affiliates of the registrant on February 28,2023 was approximately$167,632,186,277 based o
84、n the closing price of the registrants Class A ordinary shares,par value$0.0000225 per share,reported on the New York Stock Exchange on such date of$265.55 per share and on the par value of the registrants Class X ordinary shares,par value$0.0000225 per share.The number of shares of the registrants
85、Class A ordinary shares,par value$0.0000225 per share,outstanding as of September 28,2023 was 664,786,627(which number includes 37,174,510 issued shares held by the registrant).The number of shares of the registrants Class X ordinary shares,par value$0.0000225 per share,outstanding as of September 2
86、8,2023 was 325,438.Table of ContentsDOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCEPortions of the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A relating to the registrants Annual General Meeting of Shareholders,to be held on January 31,2024,will b
87、e incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K in response to Items 10,11,12,13 and 14 of Part III.The definitive proxy statement will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the registrants fiscal year ended August 31,2023.Table of ContentsTable of Contents PagePart IItem 1.Business2Item
88、 1A.Risk Factors16Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments30Item 1C.Cybersecurity30Item 2.Properties30Item 3.Legal Proceedings30Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures30Part IIItem 5.Market for Registrants Common Equity,Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities31Item 6.Reserved32Item 7.M
89、anagements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations33Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk45Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data46Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure46It
90、em 9A.Controls and Procedures46Item 9B.Other Information47Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections47Part IIIItem 10.Directors,Executive Officers and Corporate Governance48Item 11.Executive Compensation48Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Ma
91、nagement and Related Shareholder Matters49Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,and Director Independence49Item 14.Principal Accountant Fees and Services50Part IVItem 15.Exhibits,Financial Statement Schedules51Item 16.Form 10-K Summary53Signatures54Table of ContentsPart IDisclosure
92、Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934(the“Exchange Act”)relating to our operations,results of operations and other
93、matters that are based on our current expectations,estimates,assumptions and projections.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 st
94、atements.These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks,uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate.Actual outcomes and results may differ material
95、ly from what is expressed or forecast in these forward-looking statements.Risks,uncertainties and other factors that might cause such differences,some of which could be material,include,but are not limited to,the factors discussed below under the section entitled“Risk Factors.”Our forward-looking st
96、atements speak only as of the date of this report or as of the date they are made,and we undertake no obligation to update them,notwithstanding any historical practice of doing so.Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address our corporate responsibility progress,plans,and g
97、oals(including environmental matters),and the inclusion of such statements is not an indication that these contents are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.In addition,historical,current,and forward-looking sustaina
98、bility-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing,internal controls and processes that continue to evolve,and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.Available InformationOur website address is .We use our website as a channel of distri
99、bution for company information.We make available free of charge on the Investor Relations section of our website(http:/)our Annual Report on Form 10-K,Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material
100、is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission(the“SEC”)pursuant to Section 13(a)or 15(d)of the Exchange Act.We also make available through our website other reports filed with or furnished to the SEC under the Exchange Act,including our proxy statements and repo
101、rts filed by officers and directors under Section 16(a)of the Exchange Act,as well as our Code of Business Ethics.Financial and other material information regarding us is routinely posted on and accessible at http:/ and on the Accenture 360 Value Reporting Experience(http:/ do not intend for informa
102、tion contained in our website to be part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.The SEC maintains an Internet site(http:/www.sec.gov)that contains reports,proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.Any materials we file with the SEC are
103、 available on such Internet site.In this Annual Report on Form 10-K,we use the terms“Accenture,”“we,”“our”and“us”to refer to Accenture plc and its subsidiaries.All references to years,unless otherwise noted,refer to our fiscal year,which ends on August 31.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KPar
104、t I1Item 1.BusinessOverview Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the worlds leading businesses,governments and other organizations build their digital core,optimize their operations,accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen servicescreating tangible value at spe
105、ed and scale.We are a talent-and innovation-led company with approximately 733,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.Technology is at the core of change today,and we are one of the worlds leaders in helping drive that change,with strong ecosystem relationships.We combine our strength
106、 in technology and leadership in cloud,data and AI with unmatched industry experience,functional expertise and global delivery capability.We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services,solutions and assets across Strategy&Consulting,Technology,Operations,Ind
107、ustry X and Song.These capabilities,together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value,enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted,lasting relationships.We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients,each other,our shareholders,partners a
108、nd communities.Fiscal 2023 HighlightsWe serve clients and manage our business through three geographic markets:North America,Europe and Growth Markets(Asia Pacific,Latin America,Africa and the Middle East).These markets bring together all of our capabilities across our services,industries and functi
109、ons to deliver value to our clients.In the first quarter of fiscal 2024,our Middle East and Africa market units will move from Growth Markets to Europe,and the Europe market will be referred to as our Europe,Middle East and Africa(EMEA)geographic market.We go to market by industry,leveraging our dee
110、p expertise across our five industry groupsCommunications,Media&Technology,Financial Services,Health&Public Service,Products and Resources.Our integrated service teams meet client needs rapidly and at scale,leveraging our network of more than 100 innovation hubs,our technology expertise and ecosyste
111、m relationships,and our global delivery capabilities.$64.1B in revenuesOur revenues are derived primarily from Forbes Global 2000 companies,governments and government agencies.We employed approximately733,000 people as of August 31,2023.We have long-term relationships and have partnered with our top
112、 100 clients for more than 10 years.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business2Fiscal 2023 Investments$2.5B$1.3B$1.1Bacross 25 strategic acquisitionsin research and developmentin learning and professional developmentDuring fiscal 2023,we continued to make significant investmentsin stra
113、tegic acquisitions,in research and development(R&D)in our assets,platforms and industry and functional solutions,in patents and pending patents and in attracting,retaining and developing people.These investments help us to further enhance our differentiation and competitiveness in the marketplace.Ou
114、r disciplined acquisition strategy,which is an engine to fuel organic growth,is focused on scaling our business in high-growth areas;adding skills and capabilities in new areas;and deepening our industry and functional expertise.In fiscal 2023,we invested$2.5 billion across 25 strategic acquisitions
115、,$1.3 billion in R&D,and$1.1 billion in learning and professional development.Our StrategyThe core of our growth strategy is delivering 360 value to our clients,people,shareholders,partners and communities by helping them continuously reinvent.Our strategy defines the areas in which we will drive gr
116、owth,build differentiation via 360 value and enable our clients to transform their organizations through technology,data and AI to create value every day.We aspire to be at the center of our clients business and help them reach new levels of performance and to set themselves apart as leaders in thei
117、r industries.We define 360 value as delivering the financial business case and unique value a client may be seeking,and striving to partner with our clients to achieve greater progress on inclusion and diversity,reskill and upskill our clients employees,help our clients achieve their sustainability
118、goals,and create meaningful experiences,both with Accenture and for the customers and employees of our clients.We bring industry specific solutions and services as well as cross industry expertise and leverage our scale and global footprint,innovation capabilities,and strong ecosystem partnerships t
119、ogether with our assets and platforms including myWizard,myNav,SynOps and AI Navigator for Enterprise to deliver tangible value for our clients.We help our clients use technology to drive enterprise-wide transformation,which includes:building their digital coresuch as moving them to the cloud,levera
120、ging data and AI,and embedding security across the enterprise;optimizing their operationssuch as helping our clients digitize faster,access digital talent and reduce costs as well as through digitizing engineering and manufacturing;andaccelerating their revenue growthsuch as through using technology
121、 and creativity to create personalized connections,experiences and targeted sales at scale,leveraging data and AI,transforming content supply chains and marketing and commerce models and helping create new digital services and business models.Our managed services are strategic for our clients as com
122、panies seek to move faster and leverage our digital platforms and talent as well as reduce costs.We believe our strategy to deliver 360 value makes us an attractive destination for top talent,a trusted partner to our clients and ecosystem,and a respected member of our communities.We believe that the
123、 companies that will lead in the next decade need to harness the five key forces of change we have identifiedtotal enterprise reinvention,talent,sustainability,the metaverse continuum and the ongoing technology revolution.We are investing and co-creating with clients and partners to lead in helping
124、our clients thrive across these forces,which we expect to have different time horizons.Today,the demand we continue to see across our geographic markets,services and industries is being primarily driven by the first two,as companies are in the early stages of harnessing these forces.We have summariz
125、ed below each of the five key forces as we currently see them evolving.Total enterprise reinvention,as we believe every part of every business must be transformed by technology,data and AI,with new ways of working and engaging with customers,employees and partners,and new business models,products an
126、d services.We are helping clients build their digital core,optimize operations and accelerate growth.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business3Talent,as companies must be able to access great talent,be talent creators not just consumers,and unlock the potential of their peoplefrom the
127、 ways they organize and work,to their culture,to their employee value proposition.Sustainability,as consumers,employees,business partners,regulators and investors are demanding companies move from commitment to actionwe believe every business must be a sustainable business.The metaverse continuum,mo
128、ving seamlessly between virtual and physical,which we believe will provide even greater possibilities in the next waves of digital transformation.The ongoing technology revolution,from the rich innovation to come in the powerful technologies being used to transform companies today,to the new fields
129、of the future,from quantum computing,to science and space technology.We believe that helping clients navigate these five key forces of change will,in turn,drive our growth.Key enablers of our growth strategy include:Our PeopleAs a talent-and innovation-led organization,across our entire business our
130、 people have highly specialized skills that drive our differentiation and competitiveness.We care deeply for our people,and are committed to a culture of shared success,to investing in our people to provide them with boundaryless opportunities to learn and grow in their careers through their work ex
131、perience and continued development,training and reskilling,and to helping them achieve their aspirations both professionally and personally.We have an unwavering commitment to inclusion and diversity.Our CommitmentWe are a purpose-driven company,committed to delivering on the promise of technology a
132、nd human ingenuity by continuously innovating and developing leading-edge ideas and leveraging emerging technologies in anticipation of our clients needs.Our culture is underpinned by our core values and Code of Business Ethics,which are key drivers of the trust our clients and partners place in us.
133、Our FoundationOur Leadership Essentials set the standard for what we expect from our people.Our growth model,which leverages our global sales,client experience and innovation,while organizing around geographic markets and industry groups within those markets,enables us to be close to our clients,peo
134、ple and partners to scale efficiently.Our enduring shareholder value proposition is also a key element of the foundation that enables us to execute on our growth strategy through the financial value it creates.Geographic MarketsOur geographic marketsNorth America,Europe and Growth Marketsbring toget
135、her integrated service teams,which typically consist of industry and functional experts,technology and capability specialists and professionals with local market knowledge and experience,to meet client needs.The geographic markets have primary responsibility for building and sustaining long-term cli
136、ent relationships;bringing together our expertise from around the globe and collaborating across our business to sell and deliver our full range of services and capabilities;ensuring client satisfaction;and achieving revenue and profitability objectives.While we serve clients in locally relevant way
137、s,our global footprint and scale in every major country give us the ability to leverage our experience and people from around the world to accelerate outcomes for our clients.Our three geographic markets are our reporting segments.The percent of our revenues represented by each market is shown at ri
138、ght.Percent of Fiscal 2023 RevenueNorth America47%Europe33%Growth Markets20%Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business4ServicesWe bring together skills,capabilities,industry experience and functional expertise to help our clients achieve tangible outcomes and create 360 value.Strategy&
139、ConsultingWe work with C-suite executives,leaders and boards of the worlds leading organizations,helping them reinvent every part of their enterprise to drive greater growth,enhance competitiveness,implement operational improvements,reduce cost,deliver sustainable 360 stakeholder value,and set a new
140、 performance frontier for themselves and the industry in which they operate.Our deep industry and functional expertise is supported by proprietary assets and solutions that help organizations transform faster and become more resilient.Underpinned by technology,data,analytics,AI,change management,tal
141、ent and sustainability capabilities,our Strategy&Consulting services help architect and accelerate all aspects of an organizations total enterprise reinvention.TechnologyWe provide innovative and comprehensive services and solutions that span cloud;systems integration and application management;secu
142、rity;intelligent platform services;infrastructure services;software engineering services;data and AI;automation;and global delivery through our Advanced Technology Centers.We continuously innovate our services,capabilities and platforms through early adoption of new technologies such as generative A
143、I,blockchain,robotics,5G,edge computing,metaverse and quantum computing.We provide a range of capabilities that addresses the challenges faced by organizations today,including how to achieve total enterprise reinvention,manage change and develop new growth opportunities.We are continuously innovatin
144、g and investing in R&D for both existing and new forms of technology.Our focus in our Labs includes furthering innovation beyond traditional boundaries,such as science and space technologies.Our innovation hubs around the world help clients innovate at unmatched speed,scope and scale.We have strong
145、relationships with the worlds leading technology companies,as well as emerging start-ups,which enable us to enhance our service offerings,augment our capabilities and deliver distinctive business value to our clients.Our strong ecosystem relationships provide a significant competitive advantage,and
146、we are a key partner of a broad range of technology providers,including Adobe,Alibaba,Amazon Web Services,Blue Yonder,Cisco,Databricks,Dell,Google,HPE,IBM RedHat,Microsoft,Oracle,Pegasystems,Salesforce,SAP,ServiceNow,Snowflake,VMware,Workday and many others.In addition to our mature partners,we inve
147、st in emerging technologies through Accenture Ventures.We push the boundaries of what technology can enable and help clients get the most value and best capabilities out of platforms.OperationsWe operate business processes on behalf of clients for specific enterprise functions,including finance and
148、accounting,sourcing and procurement,supply chain,marketing and sales,and human resources,as well as industry-specific services,such as platform trust and safety,banking,insurance,network and health services.We help organizations to reinvent themselves through intelligent operations,enabled by SynOps
149、,our cloud enabled platform that empowers people with data,processes,automation,generative AI and a broad ecosystem of technology partners to transform enterprise operations at speed and scale.Industry XWe combine our digital capabilities with deep engineering and manufacturing expertise.By using th
150、e combined power of digital and data we help our clients to reinvent and reimagine the products they make and how they make them.This includes helping our clients to digitally transform how their capital projects are planned,managed and executed,from plant and asset construction to public infrastruc
151、ture,power grids and data centers.We collaborate closely with our platform and software partners to help our clients achieve compressed transformations by redefining how their products are designed and engineered,tested,sourced and supplied,manufactured,and serviced,returned and renewed.We also desi
152、gn,manufacture,and assemble our own advanced automation equipment,robotics and other specialized commercial hardware to support our clients operations.Through the use of data and transformative technologies such as AI,Internet of Things,artificial reality/virtual reality,advanced robotics,digital tw
153、ins and metaverse we help our clients reinvent to achieve greater resilience,productivity and sustainability in their core operations and design and engineer intelligent products faster and more cost effectively.And in doing so,we help them create new,hyper-personalized experiences and intelligent p
154、roducts and services.SongWe strive to accelerate growth and value for our clients across industries through sustained customer relevance with emerging channels,technologies,including generative AI,and models tied to the ever-changing needs and preferences of business-to-business and business-to-cons
155、umer customers.Our capabilities span ideation to execution:growth,product and experience design;technology and experience platforms;creative,media and marketing strategy;and campaign,content and channel orchestration.With strong client relationships and deep industry expertise,we help our clients op
156、erate at speed through the potential of imagination,technology and intelligence.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business5Industry Groups We believe the depth and breadth of our industry expertise is a key competitive advantage which allows us to bring client-specific industry solutio
157、ns to our clients to accelerate value creation.Our industry focus gives us an understanding of industry evolution,business issues and trends,industry operating models,capabilities and processes and new and emerging technologies.The breadth of our industry expertise enables us to create solutions tha
158、t are informed by cross industry experience.We go to market through the following five industry groups within our geographic markets.Communications,Media&TechnologyFY23 Revenues of$11.5BPercent of Groups FY23 Revenue42%16%42%Communications&MediaHigh TechSoftware&PlatformsWireline,wireless/mobile,bro
159、adcast,entertainment,gaming,print,online publishing;television networks,streaming services,content;sports including online,in-person,platform and associated infrastructure;cable and satellite communications and media infrastructure providersEnterprise and consumer technology,network and equipment ma
160、nufacturers;silicon design,semiconductor design and foundries;data centers;AI computing manufacturers;high-tech/electronic manufacturing including battery,engineering design automation and medical equipment companiesCloud-based enterprise and consumer software companies,large language model owners;b
161、oth subscription and ad-driven consumer platforms spanning ecommerce,social,media,advertising and gamingFinancial ServicesFY23 Revenues of$12.1BPercent of Groups FY23 Revenue69%31%Banking&Capital MarketsInsuranceRetail and commercial banks,mortgage lenders,payment providers,corporate and investment
162、banks,private equity firms,market infrastructure providers,wealth and asset management firms,broker/dealers,depositories,exchanges,clearing and settlement organizations,retirement services providers and other diversified financial enterprisesProperty and casualty,life and annuities and group benefit
163、s insurers,reinsurance firms and insurance brokersHealth&Public ServiceFY23 Revenues of$12.6BPercent of Groups FY23 Revenue32%68%HealthPublic ServiceHealthcare providers,such as hospitals,public health systems,policy-making authorities,health insurers(payers),and industry organizations and associati
164、onsDefense departments and military forces;public safety authorities;justice departments;human and social services agencies;educational institutions;non-profit organizations;cities;and postal,customs,revenue and tax agenciesOur work with clients in the U.S.federal government is delivered through Acc
165、enture Federal Services,a U.S.company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture LLP,and represented approximately 37%of our Health&Public Service industry groups revenues and 15%of our North America revenues in fiscal 2023.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business6ProductsFY23 Revenu
166、es of$19.1BPercent of Groups FY23 Revenue48%33%19%Consumer Goods,Retail&Travel ServicesIndustrialLife SciencesFood and beverage,household goods,personal care,tobacco,fashion/apparel,agribusiness and consumer health companies;supermarkets,hardline retailers,mass-merchandise discounters,department,qui
167、ckserve and convenience stores and specialty retailers;aviation;and hospitality and travel services companiesIndustrial&electrical equipment manufacturers and industrial suppliers;and construction,heavy equipment,consumer durables,engineering services,real estate,freight&logistics,aerospace&defense
168、and automotive and public transportation companiesBiopharmaceutical,medical technology,and biotechnology companies and distributorsResourcesFY23 Revenues of$8.9BPercent of Groups FY23 Revenue31%24%45%Chemicals&Natural ResourcesEnergyUtilitiesPetrochemicals,specialty chemicals,polymers and plastics,g
169、ases and agricultural chemicals companies,as well as the metals,mining,forest products and building materials industriesCompanies in the oil and gas industry,including upstream,midstream,downstream,oilfield services,clean energy and energy trading companiesPower generators and developers,electric an
170、d gas transmission and distribution operators,energy and energy service retailers;water,waste and recycling service providersTable of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business7PeopleOverviewWe are a talent-and innovation-led organization with approximately 733,000 people as of August 31,2023,w
171、hose skills and specialization are a significant source of competitive differentiation.We serve clients at any given time in more than 120 countries,with offices and operations in 49 countries.The majority of our people are in India,the Philippines and the U.S.We have a culture of shared success,whi
172、ch is defined as success for our clients,our people,our shareholders,our partners and our communities.That culture is built upon four tangible building blocksour beliefs,our behaviors,the way we develop and reward our people and the way we do business.Our Beliefs and Behaviors Our leadership essenti
173、als set the standard for what we expect of all our people:always do the right thing,in every decision and action;lead with excellence,confidence and humility,as demonstrated by being a learner,building great teams and being naturally collaborative;exemplify client-centricity and a commitment to clie
174、nt value creation;act as a true partner,to each other,our clients,our ecosystem and our communitiescommitted to shared success;care deeply for all our people to help them achieve their aspirations professionally and personally;live our unwavering commitment to inclusion,diversity and equality,as dem
175、onstrated by personal impact and overall results;have the courage to change and the ability to bring our people along the journey;andactively innovateseeking new answers,applying a tech,AI and data first mindset,looking internally across Accenture and outsideto partners,competitors,start-ups,clients
176、,academia and analyststo learn,respectfully challenge our assumptions and apply the innovation,and cultivate and reward our people for doing the same.Listening to the voices of our people provides the input to ensure that they have the tools and resources to do their jobs and the right learning oppo
177、rtunities,and that they experience a positive,respectful and inclusive work environment.We do this on an ongoing basis across various channels,including surveys and forums.One of our surveys,which was conducted in November 2022 and measures how our people experience our culture,shows that 91%of our
178、global respondents believe they can work to their potential because they are in an environment where they are treated with respect and in an appropriate manner.Our purpose is to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity.Our strategy is to deliver 360 value for all our stakeholders by
179、helping them continuously reinvent.To drive reinvention,innovation must be at the forefront,which requires us to attract,develop and inspire top talent.Talent is one of our most important areas of competitive differentiation.As part of our talent strategy,we hire and develop people who have differen
180、t backgrounds,different perspectives,and different lived experiences.These differences ensure that we have and attract the cognitive diversity to deliver a variety of perspectives,observations,and insights which are essential to drive the innovation needed to reinvent.To help achieve this diversity
181、we set goals,share them publicly,and collect data to measure our progress,continuously improve,and hold our leaders accountable for ensuring we have the most innovative and talented people in our industry.This approach is a key driver of our progress.We recognize that some people come to Accenture h
182、aving faced obstacles as an aspect of their identity or lived experience.At Accenture,we are committed to harness these perspectives and ensure that all of our people have the opportunity to thrive and unlock their full potential.We are a meritocracy.Our intention is to foster a culture and a workpl
183、ace in which all of our people feel a sense of belonging and are respected and empowered to do their best work and to create 360 value for all our stakeholders.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business8We are now 48%women,compared to our gender parity goal by 2025.And,we are currently
184、 29%women managing directors,compared to our goal of 30%by 2025.We are also working toward our total workforce 2025 race and ethnicity goals in the U.S.,the U.K.,and South Africa,which we announced in 2020.In the U.S.,African American and Black colleagues represent 12%of our workforce,in line with o
185、ur goal.Additionally,Hispanic American and Latinx colleagues represent 11%of our workforce,compared to our goal of 13%.In the U.K.,Black colleagues represent 5%of our workforce compared to our goal of 7%.In South Africa,African Black colleagues represent 45%of our workforce compared to our goal of 6
186、8%.Coloured colleagues represent 10%of our workforce,in line with our goal.We are committed to pay equity and pay equity at Accenture means that our people receive pay that is fair and consistent when considering similarity of work,location and tenure at career level.We conduct an annual pay equity
187、review.As of our last review which reflected annual pay changes effective December 1,2022,we have dollar-for-dollar,100%pay equity for women compared to men in every country where we operate(certain subsidiaries,including recent acquisitions,and countries with de minimis headcount were excluded from
188、 the analysis).By race and ethnicity,we likewise had dollar-for-dollar,100%pay equity in the U.S.,the U.K.and South Africa,which are the locations where we currently have the data available to use for this purpose.We are now 48%Women compared to our goal of 50%by2025 We are now29%Women managing dire
189、ctorscompared toour goal of 30%by 2025The Way We Develop and Reward Our People Our focus is to create talent and unlock the potential of our people,to create strong leaders,and to help them achieve their professional and personal aspirations,while continuously pivoting to meet new client demands.Dur
190、ing fiscal 2023,we invested$1.1 billion in continuous learning and development.With our digital learning platform,we delivered approximately 40 million training hours,consistent with fiscal 2022.We have skills data for our people,enabling us to flexibly respond to shifting client needs while also re
191、commending skill-specific training based on an individuals interests.We upskill people at scale,while proactively defining new skills and roles in anticipation of client needs.We expect to double our Data&AI Practice to 80,000 people through hiring,training and acquisitions over the next three years
192、.We are focused on rigorous,job-specific training through key industry certifications and partnerships with leading universities around the globe.We also train our people on inclusion and mitigating unconscious bias.We promoted approximately 123,000 people in fiscal 2023,demonstrating our continued
193、commitment to creating vibrant careers and opportunities for our people.We balance our supply of skills with changes in client demand.We do this through adjusting levels of new hiring and managing our attrition(both voluntary and involuntary).We believe people are drawn to our strong purpose,values
194、and reputation.For fiscal 2023,attrition,excluding involuntary terminations,was 13%,down from 19%in fiscal 2022.For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023,annualized attrition,excluding involuntary terminations,was 14%,up from 13%in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.During the second quarter of fiscal 202
195、3,we initiated actions to streamline operations and transform our nonbillable corporate functions to reduce costs.Accentures total rewards consist of cash compensation,equity and a wide range of benefits.Our total rewards program is designed to recognize our peoples skills,contributions and career p
196、rogression.Base salary,bonus and equity are tailored to the market where our people work and live.Certain rewards,like equity and bonuses,are opportunities for our people to share in the overall success of our company.As our people advance in their careers,they have greater opportunities to be rewar
197、ded.Accentures equitable rewards go beyond financial rewards and include health and well-being programs that care for our people.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business9The Way We Do BusinessAt Accenture,our people care deeply about doing the right thing.Together,we have proven that
198、 we can succeedproviding value to our clients and shareholders and opportunities for our peoplewhile being a powerful force for good.Our shared commitment to operating with the highest ethical standard and making a positive difference in everything we do is what we believe differentiates Accenture.W
199、e believe in transparency,that transparency builds trust,and that we must earn the trust of our clients,our people,our partners and our communities each and every day.Our Code of Business Ethics is organized into six fundamental behaviors:Make Your Conduct Count;Comply with Laws;Deliver for Our Clie
200、nts;Protect People,Information and Our Business;Run Our Business Responsibly;and Be a Good Corporate Citizen.It applies to all our peopleregardless of their title or location.With our Code of Business Ethics,we want to help our people make ethical behavior a natural part of what we do every daywith
201、each other,our clients,our partners and our communities.Accentures commitment to and focus on our people and culture has generated significant recognition,including No.1 on the Refinitiv Global Diversity&Inclusion Index for the fourth time in six years;Ethispheres Worlds Most Ethical Companies for 1
202、6 consecutive years;and being ranked No.17 among 25 companies on Worlds Best Workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work.Accenture is recognized as a top 10 place to work in eight countries,representing 70%of our people:No.1 in Argentina,No.2 in Mexico and the Philippines,No.5 in Brazil,Indonesia
203、and the U.S.,and No.10 in Chile on the Great Place to Work list of Best Workplaces,and No.2 on Business Todays Best Companies to Work For in India.Our Health,Safety and Well-BeingWe are committed to creating a place where people can be successful both professionally and personally.We take a holistic
204、 view of well-beingincluding physical,mental,emotional and financial well-beingproviding specially defined programs and practices to meet our peoples fundamental human needs.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business10Environmental SustainabilityWe help our clients together with our ec
205、osystem partners,to define,measure and achieve their environmental,social and governance goals by connecting sustainability with their transformation agendas across their strategy and operations to make their value chains more sustainable.We have a strong commitment to environmental sustainability i
206、n how we operate our business,and we hold ourselves accountable to clear and measurable objectives.Our environment goals span three areas:reducing our carbon emissions including through nature-based carbon removal programs,moving toward zero waste and planning for water risk.Reducing our Carbon Emis
207、sionsThe most significant aspects of our environmental footprint are the greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity used in our locations,as well as business travel and purchased goods and services.In 2020,we signed the UN Global Compact Business Ambition for 1.5C Pledge,joining leading compani
208、es in pledging to do our part to keep global warming below 1.5 Celsius,in alignment with the Paris Agreement and the criteria and recommendations of the Science Based Targets initiative(SBTi).We are continuing to work toward our goal of net-zero emissions by 2025 by first focusing on reductions acro
209、ss our Scope 1,2,and 3 emissions and then removing any remaining emissions through nature-based carbon removal projects.We are also establishing new goals to align with the SBTis criteria,guidance and recommendations for setting science-based net-zero targets.In 2023,we set a new,near-term target al
210、igned to 2030,which was approved by the SBTi.Carbon ReductionOur approach to carbon reduction in support of our goals includes:Renewable electricity.In 2023,we achieved our goal of 100%renewable electricity in our offices.As we do not own our office buildings and procure most of our energy from the
211、grid,we increase our renewable electricity by purchasing renewable electricity contracts equivalent to the amount of electricity we consume.Going forward,we plan to maintain 100%renewable electricity on an annual basis through continued purchase of renewable electricity contracts.As we purchase rene
212、wable electricity,we also support the generation of more renewable sources of electricity.Achieved100%renewable electricity by the end of 2023Enabling low carbon business travel.We continue to use technology to facilitate more cost and carbon-efficient delivery for our clients and our business and h
213、ave implemented an internal carbon price on travel to encourage climate smart travel decisions.In addition,we have developed analytics and reporting focused on our business travel emissions so that we can share emissions data with our clients as part of our delivery activities.Engaging our suppliers
214、.We are working with our suppliers to reduce our Scope 3 emissions.Our goal is that 90%of our key suppliers disclose their environmental targets and the actions being taken to reduce emissions by the end of 2025.Our suppliers are making good progress,with 68%of key suppliers disclosing their targets
215、 and 75%disclosing the actions they are taking as of December 2022.Key suppliers are defined as vendors that represent a significant portion of our 2019 Scope 3 emissions.Carbon RemovalNature-based carbon removal.To offset our remaining emissions,we are investing in nature-based carbon removal solut
216、ions to remove carbon from the atmosphere.Our nature-based carbon removal projects will also support and respect the universal principles of the UNGC in the relevant areas of human rights,labor,environment,anticorruption and the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023
217、FORM 10-KItem 1.Business11Moving Toward Zero WasteAddressing e-waste and office furniture.We have a goal of reusing or recycling 100%of our e-waste,such as computers and servers,as well as all our office furniture,by the end of 2025.During fiscal 2023,we reused or recycled nearly 100%of our e-waste
218、relating to computers,servers and uninterruptible power supply devices.We continue to refine our processes,leverage our asset tracking system and work with vendors to help us extend the life cycle of our furniture,including through refurbishment and reuse or recycling.Eliminate single-use plastics i
219、n our office locations.During fiscal 2023,we eliminated single-use plastics in our office locations by purchasing reusable and plastic-free items.Planning for Water RiskMitigating the potential impacts of climate change-related water risk.Although Accenture is not a water-intensive company,to safegu
220、ard our people and operations we are developing water resiliency action plans to reduce the impact of climate-related flooding,drought and water scarcity on our business and our people in high-risk areas.Global Delivery CapabilityA key differentiator is our global delivery capability.We have one of
221、the worlds largest networks of centers with deep capabilities in Strategy&Consulting,Technology,Operations,Industry X and Song,that allows us to help our clients create exceptional business value.It brings the right people at the right time to our clients from anywhere in the worldboth in physical a
222、nd virtual working environmentsa capability that is particularly crucial as business needs and conditions change rapidly.Our global approach provides scalable innovation;standardized processes,methods and tools;automation and AI;industry expertise and specialized capabilities;cost advantages;foreign
223、 language fluency;proximity to clients;and time zone advantagesto deliver high-quality solutions.Emphasizing quality,productivity,reduced risk,speed-to-market and predictability,our global delivery model supports all parts of our business to provide clients with price-competitive services and soluti
224、ons.Innovation and Intellectual Property We are committed to developing leading-edge ideas and leveraging emerging technologies and we see innovation as a source of competitive advantage.We use our investment in R&Don which we spent$1.3 billion,$1.1 billion and$1.1 billion in fiscal 2023,2022 and 20
225、21,respectivelyto help clients address new realities in the marketplace and to face the future with confidence.Our innovation experts work with clients across the world to imagine their future,build and co-create innovative business strategies and technology solutions,and then scale those solutions
226、to sustain innovation.We harness our unique intellectual property to deliver these innovation services.We have a global portfolio of patents and pending patent applications covering various technology areas,including AI,cloud,metaverse,cybersecurity,blockchain,automation,extended reality and analyti
227、cs.We leverage patent,trade secret and copyright laws as well as contractual arrangements and confidentiality procedures to protect the intellectual property in our innovative services and solutions.These include our proprietary platforms,software,reusable knowledge capital,and other innovations.We
228、also have policies to respect the intellectual property rights of third parties,such as our clients,partners,vendors and others.We believe our combination of people,assets and capabilities,including our global network of more than 100 innovation hubs,makes Accenture one of the leading strategic inno
229、vation partners for our clients.We have deep expertise in innovation consulting including strategy,culture change and building new business models through to long-term technology innovation,which creates the products and markets of the future.This is all supported by our innovation approach,which in
230、cludes Accenture Research,Accenture Ventures and Accenture Labs as well as our Studios,Innovation Centers and Delivery Centers.Our research and thought leadership teams help identify market,technology and industry trends.Accenture Ventures partners with and invests in growth-stage companies that cre
231、ate innovative enterprise technologies.Accenture Labs incubate and prototype new concepts through applied research and development projects.Within this,the Technology Incubation Group incubates and applies emerging technology innovation to business architectures,including blockchain,metaverse,extend
232、ed reality and quantum.To protect Accentures brands,we rely on intellectual property laws and trademark registrations held around the world.Trademarks appearing in this report are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Accenture Global Services Limited,Accenture Global Solutions Limited,or third
233、 parties,as applicable.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business12CompetitionAccenture operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace.We compete with a variety of organizations that offer services and solutions competitive with those we offerbut we believe no
234、 other company offers the full range of services at scale that Accenture does,which uniquely positions us in a highly competitive market.Our clients typically retain us on a non-exclusive basis.Our competitors include large multinational IT service providers,including the services arms of large glob
235、al technology providers;off-shore IT service providers in lower-cost locations,particularly in India;accounting firms and consultancies that provide consulting and other IT services and solutions;solution or service providers that compete with us in a specific geographic market,industry or service a
236、rea,including advertising agency holding companies,engineering services providers and technology start-ups;and in-house IT departments of large corporations that use their own resources rather than engage an outside firm.We believe Accenture competes successfully in the marketplace because:We are fo
237、cused on creating 360 value,which we define as delivering the financial business case and unique value a client may be seeking,and striving to partner with our clients to achieve greater progress on inclusion and diversity,reskill and upskill our clients employees,help our clients achieve their sust
238、ainability goals,and create meaningful experiences,both with Accenture and for the customers and employees of our clients;We are a trusted partner with long-term client relationships and a proven track record for delivering from strategy to execution,on large,complex programs at speed that drive out
239、comes and tangible value;We provide a broad range of services bringing together our capabilities at scale and have a significant presence in every major geographic market,enabling us to leverage our global expertise in a local context to deliver the best solutions,and our managed services help compa
240、nies move faster by leveraging our digital platform and talent and reduce costs;The breadth and scale of our technology capabilities,combined with our strong relationships with our technology ecosystem partners,enable us to help clients transform and re-platform in a sustainable way at speed;We have
241、 deep industry and cross-industry expertise,which enable us to accelerate value as clients transform their products,customer experiences and optimize their operations;We continuously invest in advanced tools,methods and platforms,and the highly specialized skills of our people,to create repeatable i
242、ndustry and cross industry solutions and assets,that can scale at speed,leveraging our deep experience,knowledge and insights across industries,functions and services,often with our ecosystem partners;Our industry-leading innovation approachincluding Accenture Research,Accenture Ventures and Accentu
243、re Labs as well as our Studios,Innovation Centers and Delivery Centersreflects our commitment to continuous innovation and enables us to rapidly identify,incubate,and scale emerging technology solutions for our clients;We have deep experience in AI,having embedded AI across our worldwide service del
244、ivery approach for more than a decade,and are making significant investments in solutions at scale to help our clients responsibly advance and use AI,and generative AI,to develop new strategies,operating models,business cases and digital core architecture,enabling them to achieve greater growth,effi
245、ciency,and resiliency,while accelerating value;andOur goal is to recruit the most talented people in our markets,and we have an unwavering commitment to inclusion and diversity,which creates an environment that unleashes innovation,and a world-class learning organization that helps us continuously i
246、nvest in the development of our people,and we believe our strategy to deliver 360 value makes us an attractive destination for top talent,a trusted partner to our clients and ecosystem,and a respected member of our communities.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business13Information Abo
247、ut Our Executive Officers Our executive officers as of October 12,2023 are as follows:Melissa Burgum,51,became our chief accounting officer in September 2022 and has served as our corporate controller since September 2021.Prior to that,Ms.Burgum served as our assistant corporate controller from Dece
248、mber 2016 to September 2021 and as controller for Accenture Federal Services from May 2013 to December 2016.Prior to joining Accenture,Ms.Burgum held controllership roles at two public companies and was previously an auditor and consultant for Arthur Andersen.Ms.Burgum has been with Accenture for 10
249、 years.Leo Framil,54,became our chief executive officerGrowth Markets in September 2022.From January 2016 to September 2022,Mr.Framil served as our market unit lead in Latin America.Prior to January 2016,Mr.Framil led Financial Services in Latin America.Mr.Framil was with Accenture from March 1992 u
250、ntil March 1997 before rejoining in October 1998.KC McClure,58,became our chief financial officer in January 2019.From June 2018 to January 2019,she served as managing directorFinance Operations,where she led our finance operations across the entirety of our businesses.From December 2016 to May 2018
251、,she served as our finance directorCommunications,Media&Technology.Prior to assuming that role,she served as our head of investor relations from September 2010 to November 2016,and from March 2002 to August 2010,she served as our finance directorHealth&Public Service.Ms.McClure has been with Accentu
252、re for 35 years.Jean-Marc Ollagnier,61,became our chief executive officerEurope in March 2020.From March 2011 to March 2020,Mr.Ollagnier served as our group chief executiveResources.From September 2006 to March 2011,Mr.Ollagnier led Resources in Europe,Latin America,the Middle East and Africa.Previo
253、usly,he served as our global managing directorFinancial Services Solutions group and as our geographic unit managing directorGallia.Mr.Ollagnier has been with Accenture for 37 years.Manish Sharma,55,became our chief executive officerNorth America in September 2023.Prior to that,Mr.Sharma served as o
254、ur chief operating officer from March 2022 to September 2023.From March 2020 to March 2022,Mr.Sharma served as our group chief executiveOperations.From September 2016 to March 2020,Mr.Sharma served as the group operating officer for Operations.From January 2009 to September 2016,Mr.Sharma was our se
255、nior managing director for Accenture Operations Global Delivery and Solution Development and global sales lead for Accenture Operations Business Process Outsourcing(BPO).Previously,he led our BPO operations in the Asia Pacific region.Mr.Sharma has been with Accenture for 28 years.Ellyn J.Shook,60,be
256、came our chief leadership officer in December 2015 and has also served as our chief human resources officer since March 2014.From 2012 to March 2014,Ms.Shook was our senior managing directorHuman Resources and head of our Human Resources Centers of Expertise.From 2004 to 2011,she served as the globa
257、l human resources lead for career management,performance management,total rewards,employee engagement and mergers and acquisitions.Ms.Shook has been with Accenture for 35 years.Since January 2022,Ms.Shook has served as a director of BRP Group,Inc.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Busin
258、ess14Julie Sweet,56,became chair of our Board of Directors in September 2021 and has served as our chief executive officer since September 2019.From June 2015 to September 2019,she served as our chief executive officerNorth America.From March 2010 to June 2015,she served as our general counsel,secre
259、tary and chief compliance officer.Prior to joining Accenture in 2010,Ms.Sweet was a partner for 10 years in the law firm Cravath,Swaine&Moore LLP,which she joined as an associate in 1992.Ms.Sweet has been with Accenture for 13 years and has served as a director since September 2019.Joel Unruch,45,be
260、came our general counsel in September 2019 and has served as our corporate secretary since June 2015.Mr.Unruch also served as our chief compliance officer from September 2019 to January 2020.Mr.Unruch joined Accenture in 2011 as our assistant general counsel and assistant secretary and also oversaw
261、ventures&acquisitions and alliances&ecosystems practices for our legal group.Prior to joining Accenture,Mr.Unruch was corporate counsel at A and previously an associate in the corporate department of the law firm Cravath,Swaine&Moore LLP.Mr.Unruch has been with Accenture for 12 years.John Walsh,59,b
262、ecame our chief operating officer in September 2023.From March 2020 to September 2023,Mr.Walsh served as our chief strategic accounts and global sales officer.From November 2019 to March 2020,he served as our group chief executiveCommunications,Media&Technology.He served as senior managing directorC
263、ommunications,Media&Technology in North America,from 2013 to 2019.Mr.Walsh has been with Accenture for 37 years.Organizational Structure Accenture plc was incorporated in Ireland on June 10,2009 as a public limited company.We operate our business through subsidiaries of Accenture plc.The Consolidate
264、d Financial Statements reflect the ownership interests in Accenture Canada Holdings Inc.held by certain current and former members of Accenture Leadership as noncontrolling interests.The noncontrolling ownership interests were less than 1%as of August 31,2023.“Accenture Leadership”is comprised of me
265、mbers of our global management committee(our primary management and leadership team,which consists of approximately 50 of our most senior leaders),senior managing directors and managing directors.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1.Business15Item 1A.Risk Factors In addition to the other
266、information set forth in this report,you should carefully consider the following factors which could materially adversely affect our business,financial condition,results of operations(including revenues and profitability)and/or stock price.Our business is also subject to general risks and uncertaint
267、ies that may broadly affect companies,including us.Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also could materially adversely affect our business,financial condition,results of operations and/or stock price.Risks in this section are groupe
268、d in the following categories:(1)Business Risks;(2)Financial Risks;(3)Operational Risks;and(4)Legal and Regulatory Risks.Many risks affect more than one category,and the risks are not in order of significance or probability of occurrence because they have been grouped by categories.Business RisksOur
269、 results of operations have been,and may in the future be,adversely affected by volatile,negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on our clients businesses and levels of business activity.Global macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions affect us,ou
270、r clients businesses and the markets they serve.Volatile,negative and uncertain economic and political conditions have in the past undermined and could in the future undermine business confidence in our significant markets and other markets,which are increasingly interdependent,causing our clients t
271、o reduce or defer their spending on new initiatives and technologies,and resulting in clients reducing,delaying or eliminating spending under existing contracts with us,which negatively affects our business.Growth in some of the markets we serve has slowed and could continue to slow,or could slow in
272、 other markets or stagnate or contract,in each case,for an extended period of time.Because we operate globally and have significant businesses in many markets,an economic slowdown in any of those markets could adversely affect our results of operations.Ongoing economic and political volatility and u
273、ncertainty and changing demand patterns affect our business in a number of other ways,including making it more difficult to accurately forecast client demand and effectively build our revenue and resource plans,particularly in consulting.Economic and political volatility and uncertainty is particula
274、rly challenging because it may take some time for the effects and changes in demand patterns resulting from these and other factors to manifest themselves in our business and results of operations.Changing demand patterns from economic and political volatility and uncertainty,including as a result o
275、f increasing geopolitical tensions,inflation,economic downturns,changes in global trade policies,global health emergencies and their impact on us,our clients and the industries we serve,have in the past had a negative impact and could in the future have a significant negative impact on our results o
276、f operations.Our business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for our services and solutions,including through the adaptation and expansion of our services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings,and a significant reduction in such demand or an inabil
277、ity to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect our results of operations.Our financial results depend in part on the demand for our services and solutions,which could be negatively affected by numerous factors,many of which are beyond our control and unrelated to ou
278、r work product.As described above,volatile,negative or uncertain global economic and political conditions and lower growth or contraction in the markets we serve have adversely affected and could in the future adversely affect client demand for our services and solutions.Our success depends,in part,
279、on our ability to continue to develop and implement services and solutions that anticipate and respond to rapid and continuing changes in technology and offerings to serve the evolving needs of our clients.Examples of areas of significant change include digital-,cloud-and security-related offerings,
280、which are continually evolving,as well as developments in areas such as AI,including generative AI,augmented and virtual reality,automation,blockchain,Internet of Things,quantum and edge computing,infrastructure and network engineering,intelligent connected products,digital engineering and manufactu
281、ring,and robotics solutions.As we expand our services and solutions into these new areas,we may be exposed to operational,legal,regulatory,ethical,technological and other risks specific to such new areas,which may negatively affect our reputation and demand for our services and solutions.Table of Co
282、ntentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1A.Risk Factors 16Technological developments may materially affect the cost and use of technology by our clients and,in the case of cloud,data and AI solutions,could affect the nature of how we generate revenue.Some of these technological developments have reduced
283、and replaced some of our historical services and solutions and will continue to do so in the future.This has caused,and may in the future cause,clients to delay spending under existing contracts and engagements and to delay entering into new contracts while they evaluate new technologies.Such techno
284、logical developments and spending delays can negatively impact our results of operations if we are unable to introduce new pricing or commercial models that reflect the value of these technological developments or if the pace and level of spending on new technologies are not sufficient to make up an
285、y shortfall.Developments in the industries we serve,which may be rapid,also could shift demand to new services and solutions.If,as a result of new technologies or changes in the industries we serve,our clients demand new services and solutions,we may be less competitive in these new areas or need to
286、 make significant investment to meet that demand.Our growth strategy focuses on responding to these types of developments by driving innovation that will enable us to expand our business into new growth areas.If we do not sufficiently invest in new technology and adapt to industry developments,or ev
287、olve and expand our business at sufficient speed and scale,or if we do not make the right strategic investments to respond to these developments and successfully drive innovation,our services and solutions,our results of operations,and our ability to develop and maintain a competitive advantage and
288、to execute on our growth strategy could be adversely affected.For example,if we fail to continue to develop leading AI services and solutions,including generative AI,we may lose our leadership position in this area.We are applying AI to our services,to how we deliver work to our clients,and to our o
289、wn internal operations.AI technologies are complex and rapidly evolving,and we face significant competition,including from our own clients,who may develop their own internal AI-related capabilities,which in each case,can lead to reduced demand for our services or solutions.As these technologies evol
290、ve,some services and tasks currently performed by our people will be replaced by automation.In addition,there are significant risks and uncertainties involved in developing and deploying AI,which may expose us to legal,reputational and financial harm.In a particular geographic market,service or indu
291、stry group,a small number of clients have contributed,or may,in the future contribute,a significant portion of the revenues of such geographic market,service or industry group,and any decision by such a client to delay,reduce,or eliminate spending on our services and solutions could have a dispropor
292、tionate impact on the results of operations in the relevant geographic market,service or industry group.For example,we are experiencing reduced demand particularly in our Communications,Media&Technology industry group.Many of our consulting contracts are less than 12 months in duration,and these con
293、tracts typically permit a client to terminate the agreement with as little as 30 days notice.Longer-term,larger and more complex contracts,such as the majority of our managed services contracts,generally require a longer notice period for termination and often include an early termination charge to
294、be paid to us,but this charge might not be sufficient to cover our costs or make up for anticipated ongoing revenues and profits lost upon termination of the contract.Many of our contracts allow clients to terminate,delay,reduce or eliminate spending on the services and solutions we provide.Addition
295、ally,a client could choose not to retain us for additional stages of a project,try to renegotiate the terms of its contract or cancel or delay additional planned work.When contracts are terminated or not renewed,we lose the anticipated revenues,and it may take significant time to replace the level o
296、f revenues lost.Consequently,our results of operations in subsequent periods could be materially lower than expected.The specific business or financial condition of a client,changes in management and changes in a clients strategy are also all factors that can result in terminations,cancellations or
297、delays.If we are unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills,our business,the utilization rate of our professionals and our results of operations may be materially adversely affected.Our success is dep
298、endent,in large part,on our ability to keep our people with market-leading skills and capabilities in balance with client demand around the world and our ability to attract and retain people with the knowledge and skills to lead our business globally.We must hire or reskill,retain and inspire approp
299、riate numbers of talented people with diverse skills in order to serve clients across the globe,respond quickly to rapid and ongoing changes in demand,technology,industry and the macroeconomic environment,and continuously innovate to grow our business.For example,if we are unable to hire or retrain
300、our employees to keep pace with the rapid and continuous changes in technology and the industries we serve,we may not be able to innovate and deliver new services and solutions to fulfill client demand.There is competition for scarce talent with market-leading skills and capabilities in new technolo
301、gies,and our people have been directly targeted because of their highly sought-after skills and this will likely continue.There is a risk that at certain points in time,we may have more people than we need in certain skill sets or geographies or at compensation levels that are not aligned with skill
302、 sets.In these situations,we have engaged,and may in the future engage,in actions to rebalance our workforce,including reducing the rate of new hires and increasing involuntary terminations as a means to keep our supply of people and skills in balance with client demand,such as the business optimiza
303、tion actions initiated in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.In some countries we are required by local law to consult with employee representative bodies such as works councils,which may constrain our operational flexibility and efficiency in balancing our workforce with client demand and make us le
304、ss competitive.In addition,while an immaterial percentage of our global Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1A.Risk Factors 17workforce is currently unionized,the unionization of significant employee populations could result in higher costs and other operational impediments.At certain time
305、s and in certain geographical regions,we will find it difficult to hire and retain a sufficient number of employees with the skills or backgrounds to meet current and/or future demand.In these cases,we might need to redeploy existing people or increase our reliance on subcontractors to fill certain
306、labor needs.If we are not successful in these initiatives,our results of operations could be adversely affected.If our utilization rate is too high or too low,it could have an adverse effect on employee engagement and attrition,the quality of the work performed as well as our ability to staff projec
307、ts.We are particularly dependent on retaining members of Accenture Leadership with critical capabilities.If we are unable to do so,our ability to innovate,generate new business opportunities and effectively lead large and complex transformations and client relationships could be jeopardized.We depen
308、d on identifying,developing and retaining top talent to innovate and lead our businesses.This includes developing talent and leadership capabilities in markets where the depth of skilled employees may be limited.Our ability to expand in our key markets depends,in large part,on our ability to attract
309、,develop,retain and integrate both leaders for the local business and people with critical capabilities.Our equity-based incentive compensation plans and other variable cash compensation programs,as well as promotions,are designed to reward high-performing individuals for their contributions and pro
310、vide incentives for them to remain with us.If the anticipated value of such incentives or the pace of promotions does not materialize because of company performance or volatility or lack of positive performance in our stock price,or if our total compensation package is not viewed as being competitiv
311、e,our ability to attract and retain the people we need could be adversely affected.In addition,if we do not obtain the shareholder approval needed to continue granting equity awards under our share plans in the amounts we believe are necessary,our ability to attract and retain people could be negati
312、vely affected.We face legal,reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or Accenture data from security incidents or cyberattacks.We are dependent on information technology networks and systems to securely process,transmit and store electronic information and to communica
313、te among our locations around the world and with our people,clients,ecosystem partners and vendors.As the breadth and complexity of this infrastructure continues to grow,including as a result of the increasing reliance on,and use of,mobile technologies,social media and cloud-based services,as more o
314、f our employees continue to work remotely,and as cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated(e.g.deepfakes and AI generated social engineering),the risk of security incidents and cyberattacks has increased.Such incidents could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of or damage to our systems and those
315、 of our clients,ecosystem partners and vendors,and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information,including personal data and proprietary business information.In the past,we have experienced,and in the future,we may again experience,data security incidents resulting from unauthoriz
316、ed access to our and our service providers systems and unauthorized acquisition of our data and our clients data including:inadvertent disclosure,misconfiguration of systems,phishing ransomware or malware attacks.In addition,our clients have experienced,and may in the future experience,breaches of s
317、ystems and cloud-based services enabled,managed or provided by us.To date these incidents have not had a material impact on our or our clients operations;however,there is no assurance that such impacts will not be material in the future,and such incidents have in the past and may in the future have
318、the impacts discussed below.In providing services and solutions to clients,we often manage,utilize and store sensitive or confidential client,Accenture or other third-party data,including personal data and proprietary information,and we expect these activities to increase,including through the use o
319、f AI,the Internet of Things and analytics.Unauthorized disclosure or use of,denial of access to,or other incidents involving sensitive or confidential client,vendor,ecosystem partner or Accenture data,whether through systems failure,employee negligence,fraud,misappropriation,or cybersecurity,ransomw
320、are or malware attacks,or other intentional or unintentional acts,could damage our reputation and our competitive positioning in the marketplace,disrupt our or our clients business,cause us to lose clients and result in significant financial exposure and legal liability.Similarly,unauthorized access
321、 to or through,denial of access to,or other incidents involving,our software and IT supply chain or software-as-a-service providers,our or our service providers information systems or those we develop for our clients,whether by our employees or third parties,including a cyberattack by computer progr
322、ammers,hackers,members of organized crime and/or state-sponsored organizations,who continuously develop and deploy viruses,ransomware,malware or other malicious software programs or social engineering attacks,has and could in the future result in negative publicity,significant remediation costs,lega
323、l liability,damage to our reputation and government sanctions and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations see risk factor below entitled“Our business could be materially adversely affected if we incur legal liability.”Cybersecurity threats are constantly expanding and evolv
324、ing,becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex,increasing the difficulty of detecting and defending against them and maintaining effective security measures and protocols.Table of ContentsACCENTURE 2023 FORM 10-KItem 1A.Risk Factors 18We are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to
325、protect this information,including privacy and cybersecurity laws such as the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation(“GDPR”),the United Kingdoms GDPR,U.S.states recent comprehensive privacy legislation,as well as various other U.S.federal and state laws governing the protection of privac
326、y,health or other personally identifiable information and data privacy and cybersecurity laws in other regions.These laws and regulations continue to evolve,are increasing in complexity and number and increasingly conflict among the various countries in which we operate,which has resulted in greater
327、 compliance risk and cost for us.Various privacy laws impose compliance obligations regarding the handling of personal data,including localization of data and the cross-border transfer of data,and significant financial penalties for noncompliance.For example,failure to comply with the GDPR may lead
328、to regulatory enforcement actions,which can result in monetary penalties of up to 4%of worldwide revenue,orders to discontinue certain data processing operations,civil lawsuits,or reputational damage.If any person,including any of our employees,negligently disregards or intentionally breaches our es
329、tablished controls with respect to client,third-party or Accenture data,or otherwise mismanages or misappropriates that data,we could be subject to significant litigation,monetary damages,regulatory enforcement actions,fines and/or criminal prosecution in one or more jurisdictions.These monetary dam
330、ages might not be subject to a contractual limit of liability or an exclusion of consequential or indirect damages and could be significant.In addition,our liability insurance,which includes cyber insurance,might not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us against claims related to security inci
331、dents,cyberattacks and other related incidents.The markets in which we operate are highly competitive,and we might not be able to compete effectively.The markets in which we offer our services and solutions are highly competitive.Our competitors include:large multinational IT service providers,inclu
332、ding the services arms of large global technology providers;off-shore IT service providers in lower-cost locations,particularly in India;accounting firms and consultancies that provide consulting and other IT services and solutions;solution or service providers that compete with us in a specific geo
333、graphic market,industry or service area,including advertising agency holding companies,engineering services providers and technology start-ups and other companies that can scale rapidly to focus on or disrupt certain markets and provide new or alternative products,services or delivery models;andin-house IT departments of large corporations that use their own resources,rather than engage an outside
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