Accenture plans on 'exiting' staff who can't be reskilled on AI amid restructuring strategy

Core Insights - Accenture is implementing a restructuring strategy that includes layoffs for employees unable to reskill in artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of AI in its operations [1][2] - The company has already reskilled 550,000 workers in generative AI fundamentals and is investing $865 million in a business optimization program, which includes severance costs and headcount reductions [2] - Accenture anticipates savings exceeding $1 billion from the optimization program, which will be reinvested in the business and workforce to support future growth [3] Workforce Strategy - The company is focusing on upskilling its workforce, with a strategy to exit employees who cannot be reskilled within a compressed timeline [5] - Accenture is also increasing its hiring efforts, planning to grow its AI and data professional workforce from 40,000 in 2023 to 77,000 by 2025, and expects to increase headcount in the next financial year across various markets [4] Financial Performance - Accenture reported revenues of $69.7 billion for the year, reflecting a 7% growth from the previous year, driven by strong client demand for AI deployment [6]