Sat Feb 08 07:14:16 UTC 2025: **Accenture Scraps Diversity Goals Amidst Shifting US Political Landscape**
**Bengaluru, India (February 8, 2025)** – Accenture, the global professional services company, has announced the termination of its global diversity and inclusion (D&I) goals. The decision, revealed in an internal memo from CEO Julie Sweet, follows an assessment of the evolving U.S. political landscape and recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling DEI programs.
The memo stated that Accenture will cease using its 2017 D&I goals for performance measurement and will pause participation in external diversity benchmarking surveys. Career development programs targeting specific demographic groups will also be discontinued. This move comes as several other big tech companies, including Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon, have also rescinded similar initiatives.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement on Wednesday of a Justice Department investigation into, and penalties for, private sector DEI programs further underscores the challenging environment for such initiatives.
While Accenture’s latest annual report shows women comprising 48% of its workforce and 30% of managing director roles, the company will now evaluate its external partnerships related to D&I as part of a broader talent strategy refresh. This decision contrasts with a recommendation from Institutional Shareholder Services, advising Apple investors to vote against a proposal to eliminate the company’s DEI policies. The impact of this significant shift in corporate policy on Accenture’s operations and employee morale remains to be seen.
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