Editors’ Note

Stephanie Jamison is Accenture’s global Resources Industry Practices Chair, which includes the utilities, chemicals, natural resources, and energy industries, as well as Accenture’s global Sustainability Services leader, and is as a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. Jamison was previously the Strategy and Consulting lead for Europe, working with C-suite executives to help them accelerate their digital transformations to enhance competitiveness, growth, and to deliver sustainable value. Before that, she led Accenture’s global utility industry sector and was a Diamond Client account lead, helping some of the largest and most innovative utilities in North America and Europe with energy-transition and growth strategies while driving large-scale business transformation programs. Additionally, she is responsible for Accenture’s work with the World Economic Forum (WEF) related to utilities, sustainability, and the energy transition. Jamison holds a BS degree in industrial and systems engineering and an MS degree in industry and systems engineering from The Ohio State University.

COMPANY BRIEF

Accenture (accenture.com) is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance services – creating tangible value at speed and scale. The company is a talent- and innovation-led company with 774,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and Accenture is one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. The company combines its strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise, and global delivery capability. Accenture’s broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy and Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with a culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enables the company to help its clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships.

How do you describe Accenture’s culture and values?

Our culture is built around the idea of pushing boundaries and making a real impact for our clients, our employees, and our communities. We encourage people to bring fresh ideas and take on meaningful challenges. And we place a big emphasis on true innovation. Whether it’s leveraging the latest in AI, rethinking business strategies or finding sustainable ways to make a difference, Accenture thrives on being at the cutting edge and delivering on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, centered around continuous reinvention.

Learning and growth are huge parts of our culture, and we invest more than $1 billion yearly in a wide range of training for our 774,000 people. We pride ourselves on attracting, developing and inspiring top talent that have different backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences that help bring 360° value to our clients. At all levels we encourage our people and teams to keep evolving and upskilling, whether through formal programs, mentorships or hands-on project work. We foster a culture of learning that allows our employees to be their best selves – personally and professionally.

What have been the keys to Accenture’s industry leadership and how do you define the Accenture difference?

Accenture’s industry leadership comes down to a bold mix of expertise, innovation, and a deep commitment to success for serving 9,000 clients across more than 120 countries. We operate across over a dozen industries – from resources, health and public service to financial services, life sciences and travel. Rather than simply responding to trends, we actively drive them, making significant investments in emerging technology like our $3 billion investment across AI, including generative AI, and building an environment where fresh ideas can thrive. We have a strong ecosystem of leading technology partners and over 100 innovation hubs globally, and we built specialized teams that focus on the future, all together ensuring that our clients are always positioned to stay ahead, no matter how the market shifts or what change comes next.

Additionally, our strategic partnerships with clients enable us to apply a long-term focus and ability to evolve with their needs. As our CEO, Julie Sweet, recently said, “With our clients prioritizing large-scale transformations, we doubled down on our strategy to be their reinvention partner of choice.”

Will you provide an overview of your role and areas of focus?

I lead Accenture’s Resources Industry Practices as well as Sustainability Services globally, giving me a uniquely combined view into the world of decarbonization and the net-zero transition, where the Resources industries must and does play a crucial role. I’ve been working within the Resources space for over two decades, and while my Sustainability Services role is more recent, sustainability has been central to my work with resources clients across these two converging timelines.

Will you highlight Accenture’s global Resources Industry Practices?

The Resources Industries we focus on include utilities, chemicals, natural resources and energy. And now, with increased pressure on companies to decarbonize and contribute to solutions for a more sustainable planet, there is a clear intersection across all these industries. They must partner and collaborate for innovative solutions; They must reinvent themselves in a world that is no longer static, and where stakeholders – including the public, investors, activists and others – are both expecting and demanding action to address climate change. That means working with clients to shift from being resource producers to resource stewards, to invest in emerging technologies for improved effectiveness and resilience, to drive operational excellence and to help them manage demand through market cycles and turbulence, new regulations and other external factors.

How is Accenture helping its clients reach their net-zero targets and broader sustainability goals?

Knowing that there are important deadlines coming up for achieving net-zero targets and other key sustainability commitments, we’ve been expanding our capabilities and investing in expertise across sustainability strategy, supply-chain transformation, and data-driven measurement of decarbonization efforts. Our Sustainability Services portfolio helps our clients improve their environmental, social and governance, and carbon intelligence. This set of capabilities helps organizations control, improve, and create value and reduce impact by using carbon – and broader sustainability – data and intelligence in decision-making across the core business.

We also conduct annual tracking of net zero commitments, carbon reduction activities, and emissions data for 2,000 of the largest companies worldwide. Our fourth annual “Destination Net Zero” report analyzes whether companies are on track to reach net zero in their operations by 2050 and identifies a broad set of levers they can pull to decarbonize their value chains and incorporate into their standard business practices. That includes what we call the AI “super-lever.” Our research and corresponding offerings to clients shows that AI isn’t just a contributor to emissions, but ultimately must play a major role in reducing emissions in the long term.

Do you feel that there are strong opportunities for women in leadership roles in the industry?

As a woman on the global management committee, serving a female CEO of a global Fortune 500 company, I would adamantly say, yes. There are strong opportunities for women in leadership roles in the industry, though it’s still a journey toward full equity. We’re seeing more programs focused on mentorship, leadership development, and flexible work arrangements which are helping to create pathways for women to rise to senior roles.

That said, it’s clear there are still challenges. While the industry has made strides, it’s not always an even playing field, and women still face barriers. There is a lot of work to be done to continue to see gender parity in industry leadership roles, but I’m hopeful that we as a company, and I in my role, are doing our part to model this vision.

What advice do you offer to young people beginning their careers?

I am a champion of personal growth and appreciate the value of taking risks, innovating, and learning. My biggest advice is to stay curious and open to learning. Focus on gaining experiences and skills that genuinely interest you. Each role you take on will teach you something valuable, so dive in, learn as much as you can, and don’t be afraid to take on tasks outside your comfort zone – you’ll be surprised by how much you grow. Second, building relationships is equally important. Seek out mentors, connect with peers, and don’t be shy about asking questions. Networking might feel awkward at first but focus on creating genuine connections. Third, remember that your career is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be twists, turns, and even setbacks, but those moments often bring the biggest opportunities for growth. Stay adaptable, keep a positive attitude and remember that success is often about resilience and a willingness to learn. And finally, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Authenticity is one of the best assets you can bring to any team. Embrace your strengths, be confident in your ideas, and trust that you have a unique perspective to offer. In short, I would advise young people to explore, build skills and your network, and shape your career in a way that feels true to you.

You have spent nearly 29 years at Accenture. What has made the experience so special for you?

Spending nearly three decades at Accenture has been an incredible journey, and what’s kept it special is the constant evolution and the endless opportunities for growth. I’ve had the chance to work on many groundbreaking projects, and it’s amazing to be part of an organization that’s always at the forefront, tackling some of the world’s most pressing business and technology challenges.

The people are a huge part of why I chose to grow my career here. Accenture brings together such diverse and talented individuals, and there’s a real sense of camaraderie and collaboration. Whether it’s working alongside brilliant colleagues or helping develop the next generation of leaders, the relationships I’ve built over the years have been incredibly rewarding.

But the journey has also been with our clients. When I first joined, industries like energy and utilities were very focused on traditional practices, primarily concerned with reliability and optimizing the status quo. Over the years, I’ve seen these industries, and our clients, embrace an incredible transformation. Now they are at the forefront of the Net Zero Transition and delivering constant innovation. Being part of that shift has been extremely fulfilling.

Most important, Accenture has always aligned with my values. From our push for sustainability to fostering diversity and inclusion, I feel proud to work for a company that’s not only committed to excellence, but also to making a positive impact on the world.