Accenture boss met 30 CEOs in 2 months as execs scramble to roll out AI

Julie Sweet, chief executive officer of Accenture Plc, during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Credit: Stefan Wermuth—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

CEOs are clambering over one another to get a head start in the AI race. As their urgency increases, the CEO of Accenture has had to get used to a lot more long-haul trips.

Accenture beat investor estimates as it collected $17.7 billion in revenue in the first quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, sending shares up 7% on Thursday. The group banked $1.2 billion in AI bookings in the first quarter of 2025. Earnings also topped investors’ expectations at $2.3 billion for the quarter.