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Tag: Cognosante

Accenture Federal taps next CEO, as Goodman steps down

Starting Sept. 1, Ron Ash will take the wheel as CEO at Arlington County’s Accenture Federal Services, the federal contractor offering IT services announced Tuesday. He will also become chair of AFS’ board of managers. 

Ash will succeed John Goodman, who is stepping down as CEO and chair at the end of August and will retire March 31, 2025, according to the company. Since 2022, Ash has served as chief operating officer at AFS, a subsidiary of Fortune Global 500 professional services company Accenture.  

Described in the news release as having “an exceptional track record of using the latest technologies and innovation to help clients solve complex challenges,” Ash, in his new role, will work to “advance the company’s ability to help the [U.S.] federal government embrace new technologies, such as generative AI.”  

“Ron Ash is the right leader for Accenture Federal Services in this time of reinvention with data, technology and AI,” Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, said in a statement. “He brings both broad and deep experience across the government and commercial worlds, technology, and strategy, and a strong, proven commitment to creating value for clients, people and communities.” 

After graduating from Ohio University in 1996, Ash joined Accenture, where he went on to work in supply chain transformation. In 2002, Ash moved to AFS, filling a variety of roles including leading the Public Safety Portfolio, where he worked with homeland security, law enforcement and first-response agencies. 

AFS described Ash as “integral” to shaping inclusion and diversity priorities. He is an executive sponsor of the Hispanic American Employee Resource Group.

CEO since 2017, Goodman doubled the size of AFS’ workforce to 15,500 employees. During his tenure, AFS increased investments in emerging technology, advanced research and development and human-centric design. 

In May, AFS completed its acquisition of Falls Church’s Cognosante, which provides IT support to federal, state and local government agencies with public health missions. In 2021, Goodman oversaw AFS’ acquisition of McLean’s Novetta, an advanced analytics company that had been a subsidiary of The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm. 

“His leadership and commitment set new standards for how to serve clients, grow the business, embrace new technologies and ways of working, and bring everyone along on the journey,” Sweet said of Goodman. 

Accenture reported $64.1 billion in revenue for fiscal 2023.

Accenture Federal Services completes Cognosante buy

Arlington County-based Accenture Federal Services has completed its acquisition of Falls Church-based Cognosante, AFS announced Monday.

With the acquisition, AFS plans to create a new federal health portfolio. The deal adds 1,500 employees to AFS’ workforce.

“The health market is a unique mission space in the U.S. federal government,” Accenture Federal Services CEO John Goodman said in a statement. “With the addition of Cognosante’s industry-leading people and capabilities, and by continuing to draw upon Accenture’s proven commercial innovation in health, life sciences and insurance, Accenture Federal Services will accelerate impact for our clients and offer greater career growth opportunities for our people as a result of this acquisition.”

AFS announced plans to acquire Cognosante in April. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AFS also recently won two large contracts. Earlier this month, AFS won a 10-year $789 million cybersecurity contract to provide global U.S. Navy maritime forces with unified cybersecurity operations across the Navy’s shared set of systems built to protect a single, common, continuous security perimeter. The contract includes a base ordering period of five years and an option for an additional five years.

The other is $127 million U.S. Army Enterprise Application Modernization and Migration contract, which will support the Army’s goal of moving applications out of Army data centers and into the cloud, according to a news release. It’s a one-year base with two optional years.

AFS reported $16.2 billion in total revenues for the first quarter of this year.

Accenture Federal Services to acquire Cognosante

Arlington County-based Accenture Federal Services (AFS) has entered into an agreement to acquire Falls Church-based Cognosante, the companies announced Tuesday.

Terms of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory review, were not disclosed in the announcement released Tuesday by the two companies.

Cognosante’s more than 1,500 employees will join AFS’ workforce of more than 14,000, according to a news release. A subsidiary of Fortune Global 500 professional services company Accenture, AFS will launch a new health portfolio with the acquisition. Cognosante provides IT support to federal, state and local government agencies with public health missions.

“We are continually innovating and investing to help federal agencies stay ahead of the ever-changing needs of their mission and customers,” Accenture Federal Services CEO  John Goodman said in a statement. “Accenture Federal Services is excited to welcome the Cognosante team.”

Michele Kang founded Cognosante in 2008. The company works with federal government clients including health care programs supporting veterans, active-duty military, patients, beneficiaries, providers and payors. Last May, the company earned one of four spots on a $1 billion Department of Veterans Affairs telehealth contract.

Kang

Kang is also majority owner of the Washington Spirit women’s pro soccer team.

“As we explored ways to continue to scale and grow, we could not have found a better home than Accenture Federal Services,” Kang said in a statement. “The company shares our commitment to its clients and people and has industry-leading capabilities, talent, speed and scale.”

In 2021, AFS acquired McLean-based Novetta, an advanced analytics company that had been a subsidiary of The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm where Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was previously co-CEO. In May 2023, AFS earned a spot on an IRS systems modernization contract worth up to $2.6 billion. The month before, AFS launched a Federal Generative AI Center of Excellence.

Accenture reported $16.2 billion in total revenues for the first quarter of this year.

Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: Y. MICHELE KANG

Born in South Korea, Kang moved to the United States as a teen with her family, driven to succeed. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and her master’s degree from the Yale School of Management. An entrepreneur who started companies and bought and invested in others, she has always been focused on information technology solutions.

In 2008, she founded Cognosante, which provides IT support to federal, state, and local government agencies in public health. In May, the company was one of four contractors to win a spot on a $1 billion Department of Veterans Affairs telehealth contract, in addition to its $217 million VA Community Care Referrals and Authorization program contract awarded in September 2022.

Kang, who is also majority owner of the women’s pro soccer team Washington Spirit, was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame last year by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington. In June, she became the first woman to own a multiteam soccer organization, which includes both the Spirit and France’s Olympique Lyonnais and is expected to add more teams from around the world, The New York Times reported.