#consulting

After more than ten years here, I honestly can’t wait for the door to hit me on the way out. It’s just a two-year engagement, nothing fancy, but I welcome the change. I completely lost perspective at XOM, got su-ked into the “Exxon way” until my career flatlined. I stopped growing years ago, stopped learning anything useful. If you’re as fed up as I was, do yourself a favor: make a change if you can. The feeling of walking away from this place is worth more than money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QNXItFgjTg

Consulting Department laid off a few people, including Country Manager

Accenture job cuts are in the news once more, and this time, there are conversations on reskilling occurring parallelly as we speak. During an earnings call on Thursday, Accenture acknowledged that it is “exiting” employees who cannot be retrained for artificial intelligence skills, according to Business Insider. The Accenture layoffs have defined its AI era, with sweeping cuts that have reportedly affected about 22,099 jobs in the last two quarters. As of August 2025, the company’s headcount stands at 779,000, a steep drop from the 801,099 reported in February.

https://www.thehrdigest.com/accenture-job-cuts-clear-the-room-for-reskilling-employees-who-can-keep-up/

https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1k1f210as

One more time I am telling across the organization, the cut will be close to 20 to 25K (Because they don't know AI) not 11K as you see in the media presently

I heard there’s going to be more major layoffs in ETX before year end or in January. Rumor is they’re bringing in Salesforce, Microsoft and AWS consultants to do all new work and then offshore teams and managers will support after that. Apparently they want 90% offshore by end of 2026 and are already at 75%

Shrink, shrink goes the workforce.
The price of stock follows.
Down, down goes NPS.
Investor, customer and employee trust all lost
Ring ring goes the mckinsey cash register. The only thing that goes up
3 years. We’ve seen enough.
Time for the board to make a change

Looks like Ramnik is in for the long haul. Get your white shirts out. Learn to work with Deloitte (DoLittle). His buddies from Deloitte are circling the wagon. The CTO team will be the first impact. Bank and P&C next.

The sinking ship is sinking fast. Time to jump ship.

Ford has sunk millions (and sometimes billions) into initiatives like Model e / FNV4, Ford Next, Canopy, and FordLabs, and what’s becoming increasingly clear is a repeated pattern: massive spending, vague execution, questionable hires or partnerships, and little to no lasting impact.

How do these projects keep getting approved? Who’s actually making the strategic calls? Who signs off on these black-box initiatives, the hiring, the vendors, the direction? The execution feels disconnected from reality. Where’s the accountability for these profound strategic missteps? What oversight exists? I don't understand: is it the board, the CEO, product leads, entire leadership chains, external partners, etc.? Is there an internal innovation council or P&L division that says money is for X and Y but not Z? Is there gatekeeping? Is it greed? Kickbacks? Special vendor relationships that lock us?

Who handles HR and talent acquisition? Did we just bring senior roles with high pay and unclear mandates in the name of innovation? Are our analysts in an ivory tower, not understanding the fundamentals and easily fooled? How come we need so much money to build and do things, and why are we cheap in places that matter? Is it a circular talent problem? Where does the actual money end up being spent? Who is hoarding it? Is it money laundering? Do special committees lack deep domain knowledge? I can't wrap my head around this.

Do executives rotate out before results materialize, or are they promoted elsewhere or hired externally? Does the Media & PR shape the story far more than the product teams? Is the company under existential pressure to look like they're innovating? Why does Ford's structure allow it? Is it due to consultants with strategy decks without deep product execution knowledge? How does HR acquire talent and also place them accordingly? Do we have executive recruiters with vague job specs that drag and drop people like a menial task? Is it because of the whole "who we know" bit which bypasses procurement for strategic partners to add to the reliance on market signaling?

Do we have a siloed org structure that breeds "mini-empires"? Do we have experts that may be downplaying other experts that may threaten an empire? Is talent held back, or perceived as going rogue for initiative and being vocal? Do things repeat because we have an inability to absorb failure lessons due to quietly folding concerns under the rug instead of facing humility and accountability? Did we really bask in what a startup mindset really means? Milchmädchenrechnung?

I really want to hear the rationale behind decisions in such a historic company competing in the now. Are we structurally incapable of absorbing new insight without breaking internal equilibrium? Is it from gov bailouts and subsidies that enable mistakes to continue, compelled through lobbying packets written by "independent" parties? Are people with real execution power and holistic domain knowledge not looped into the work?

Do we suffer with watered down layers of middle management or political handlers? Is it relationship over merit that requires tribal alignment when presenting accurate feedback or data to prevent it from being rejected if it comes from "outside the circle"? Do we monitor sabotage behavior, and do we enable it or step in and put our foot down? Is it ego over mission, where elevation itself upsets social balance and as an org we are unable to cut through biases? Are these divisions, projects, and products "moonshots," as in high risk but necessary for survival, yet poorly executed?

I'm not asking for the benefit of Ford, but to deeply understand and learn from what is going on in this company, I know trolls will come or bash execs and blanket it all, but I'm checking to see angles I may be missing here. Interested in any sort insight for my own education because I don't know what I don't know. Managing the unknown in my case-study. Thanks.

Hey CK, how do you like your bff Donald Trump now? Will you hire more consultants or shut down US consulting altogether? F@F0

absolutely brutal news out of pwc middle east this morning. they’ve announced that 66 zero partners and about 1,500 staff are being let go immediately.

the knee-je-k reaction is that it’s because of the pif ban. people assume that restriction is the trigger. but i believe it’s more complicated. yes, pif matters for every major management consulting firm. but the real story is about the market changing.

the market is contracting. clients are realizing what ai can do. broadly speaking, clients now want to build their own in-house consulting capacity. the cost difference between hiring someone internally versus using an external consultant is massive. they know they need those skills on their own teams. so why keep hiring outside help?

there is a definite shift. on paper, the advisory market in the middle east should be growing. i did a video recently pointing out that the projection was roughly 13 % year-on-year growth. last year saudi spent about 4 billion on consultants. this year should be 4 billion plus 13 %. something never quite added up, and this feels like validation.

pwc grew rapidly from around 2015 to 2025. they won nearly every big transformation project tied to vision 2030. but nobody thought that kind of scale would be sustainable forever. you can’t run project management offices for a decade and expect everything to stay the same.

now pwc is being forced to pull back. the layoffs are brutal, and i deeply sympathize with everyone affected. but cutting that many people is not done lightly or cheaply. clearly they’ve run the numbers: weigh the cost of layoffs now against the upside of operating leaner during slower growth.

i’ve also heard a rumor that another big four firm is going to announce something similar very soon. i won’t name names, but expect this wave to spread. it’s not just the big four—more consulting firms will feel this squeeze.

crazy times. if you’re being affected or know people who are, reach out. maybe we can build a group to help each other through this. i’d love to hear your take.

I'm hearing rumblings of a new larger layoff coming up next month. Does anyone have any idea of what business segments will be impacted? Joel Osteen aka Rick seems to be channeling his McKinsey lessons from the get go

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So many key people cut without a plan. Customers were already cancelling before this

The only strategy from executive management is to overspend on management consultants and new roles at the top. No one can understand the org

Millions spent on consultants making upwards $500K each to tell the ELT the answer to our problems is to cut GA costs. Nothing innovative there. By the way BCG told Chevron management the same thing. Big whoop.

I used to work at Accenture about 15 years ago and spent nearly a decade there. Back then, things were aligned by industry. I was in media and entertainment within the electronics and high tech vertical, with a specialization in SAP, though I was not directly aligned with the SAP group. I was on the consulting side.

I’ve seen mentions of a new reorganization at Accenture, but I’m having trouble understanding how things are being structured now. Are the new groupings still focused on industries, or is it more around technology and capability? How do specializations like SAP fit in today?

I’d really appreciate it if any current employees could share some insight into how the company is evolving and what this latest reorg means in practice.

WHY PAST TRENDS POINT TO ACCENTURE LAYOFFS IN 2025

SEPTEMBER 05, 2025

Speculation around Accenture layoffs in 2025 is rising, as CEO statements, financial reports, and past workforce reductions point toward potential job cuts. Industry analysts warn layoffs at Accenture could mirror the consulting giant’s 2023 cuts, with AI adoption and efficiency drives driving massive workforce changes.

As the tech industry grapples with persistent economic headwinds, speculation is mounting over possible layoffs at Accenture. Rumors of Accenture layoffs are slowly gaining traction, particularly in light of recent statements made by its CEO Julie Sweet. Experts have raised questions about whether the consulting giant could once again trim its ranks.

A SORDID HISTORY OF LAYOFFS AT ACCENTURE

Accenture, which employs more than 770,000 people worldwide, has never been immune to the global volatility. In March 2023, Accenture layoffs led to 19,000 job cuts. It amounts to roughly 2.5% of its global workforce. The move was meant to drive cost-saving as well as reduce office space.

At the time, Julie Sweet described Accenture layoffs as an “offensive” strategy to strengthen the company’s resilience despite strong bookings and healthy utilization rates. The job cuts at Accenture were also linked to wage inflation, economic uncertainty and a massive shift towards larger-scale transformation projects.

CEO JULIE SWEET SIGNALS ‘REWIRING’

Earlier this month, Sweet unveiled what she called a reversal of “five decades of how we’re working,” shifting siloed business units into a more integrated models designed for AI-driven client services. In a video message to staff, she agreed the restructure has “inevitably uncovered efficiencies and duplications”. This phrasing suggests that layoffs at Accenture are underway.

Although Sweet has avoided explicitly framing the shake-up as a cost-cutting measure, her comments echo those made ahead of the 2023 layoffs at Accenture. In the past, she cited “structural issues” as a justification for job cuts. Industry experts note that her repeated emphasis on “rewiring” Accenture to seize AI opportunities carries clear implications for the company’s workforce.

A STEADY HEADCOUNT DECLINE
Accenture reported $64.9 billion in revenue for fiscal 2024. What lies behind this figure is signs of strain. Workforce intelligence trackers suggest headcount at has fallen by nearly 14,000 over the past year, with consulting reducing in 10 of the last 11 months. Analysts describe this as a form of “stealth layoffs” that avoid large-scale announcements.

The appointment of a new CHRO at Accenture has further fueled speculation. In large companies, HR leadership changes often precede restructures and layoffs. Furthermore, industry chatter places Accenture alongside peers such as AWS and Microsoft, where AI adoption is linked to layoffs.

For now, Accenture has not confirmed any layoffs in 2025. But as the company prepares to report Q4 results later this year, employees and investors will be watching closely for signs of layoffs. If past patterns hold, a formal announcement of layoffs at Accenture could follow soon.

What’s your take on Julie Sweet’s bold moves at Accenture? Will layoffs and a culture shake-up spark a turnaround, or is it a gamble too far? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and subscribe to HR Digest for the latest on leadership shifts, workforce trends, and how they’re reshaping the C-suite. Don’t miss our next deep dive, sign up now!

https://www.thehrdigest.com/why-past-trends-point-to-accenture-layoffs-in-2025/

"IBM: AI Reality Remains Disappointing" (Seeking Alpha). GenAI Summary (because of paywall):

IBM's much-hyped AI business is failing to generate significant revenue growth. The author, a self-described "ultra Bearish" investor, advises selling the stock, as the recent rally is not justified by the company's financial performance.

AI is mostly for consulting, not products: IBM's large "AI bookings," which reached over $1 billion in the second quarter of 2025, are primarily for consulting services rather than for its proprietary AI software. This is not a high-growth business and doesn't scale as well as software sales.

Weak organic growth: Despite all the AI excitement, the article concludes that IBM's core organic revenue growth is only 2–3%. The overall revenue boost is inflated by factors like favorable currency exchange rates and the acquisition of HashiCorp.

Overvalued stock price: The stock's valuation is considered "stretched," trading at a 20x forward price-to-earnings ratio, well above its historical range of 10–15x. The author finds no fundamental growth to support this higher multiple.

Stagnant free cash flow: The company's forecast for free cash flow in 2025, at over $13.5 billion, is essentially flat from its initial projection for the year.

Focus on consulting: While IBM highlights a growing book of business for generative AI, a large portion of this is tied to consulting—a business that saw no growth in the second quarter of 2025.

In summary, the article portrays IBM's AI ambitions as more hype than reality, with little evidence that generative AI is meaningfully accelerating the company's overall revenue growth. The author sees the company's recent stock rally as unwarranted and views the stock as a sell.

Sources:

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4816847-ibm-ai-reality-remains-disappointing

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4675533-ibm-artificial-rally

Demoralized by your peers feeling forced into accepting VSPs? Shocked by the ISPs? Me, too.

Now the additional layer as been revealed - the quiet demotions. Make no mistake, this is quiet firing. They want to make people miserable so they leave on their own accord and they don't have to pay severance. It also helps with their PR so they don't have to make it look like they laid more people off. This way, they can bring in younger, cheaper talent (and offshore and outsource more and more) and stay out of the headlines. This is "Consultant 101."

It's not just BCG, though. In case you hadn't noticed, they hired a bunch of partners from McKinsey & Company to run the show - David Chubak, Ryan Littlemore, Hasan Malik - all from McKinsey. I'm sure there's more I'm missing.

Then you have Nancy Killefer, Luis Ubinas, Byron Auguste - all on the Advisory Board and from McKinsey.

Don't know who McKinsey and Company is? Go look them up. They're the sc-m that both helped big pharma market opi--ds while simultaneously advising the government on how to combat the opi--d epidemic - using the same team of people. They are predators. They have no conscience. This is who is running the firm now.

I am so disappointed in the partner group as a whole. They should never have allowed this to happen. I hope they are ashamed.

500 people were let go in the US.

Sales teams and maybe others just got invited to do a job feedback assessment by a consultant firm called the Alexander Group. I highly doubt they're really looking to improve operational and sales efficiencies, nothing here seems to change for the better. I am positive they are contracting this waste of space company to cut the fat for more layoffs potentially like they did over 19 months ago. TU has over 12,000 employees and still needs to pay a consultant to tell them how we should be working lmaooo

What the heck is going on with the public sector solutions consulting team?? I’ve noticed like 10 people have quit this year and it keeps getting worse and worse.

Why do executives funnel millions of dollars, while making millions of dollars into consulting companies while claiming that they can't raise pay for workers or do actual needed changes to the business?

Consulting is a total scam. Cr--ker barrel paid $700M on their rebrand that tanked them by $143M.

How much are we paying our executives and consulting companies for things that don't help the business at all?

Amid 12000 layoffs TCS forms new AI, services transformation unit in…, appoints new head named as…

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT services firm, has set up a new Artificial Intelligence and service transformation unit, appointing Amit...

https://www.india.com/business/amid-12000-layoffs-tcs-forms-new-ai-services-transformation-unit-integrating-existing-teams-inteappoints-new-head-named-as-amit-kapur-who-is-he-8036868/

India.com

Aug/27/2025 03:24 AM
Location: Mumbai, India (TCS HQ)

The consulting firm that came up with planning the layoffs really robbed Edward Jones. I'm in the wrong line of business if you can get paid for this outcome. This felt like Layoff PI Planning. We're all waiting for the final read out.

Consult Partners Hiring?

Heard from an external recruiter that Kyndryl is hiring 20+ Consult Partners in the US, at $250k+ base. How accurate is that?

Would anyone recommend pursuing the opportunity? How's the interview process? How's the current situation at the company (layoffs, contract orders, etc)? Are the current projects really based on cloud, AI/ML, IoT, as their website says?

here is my mini rant... they expect you to do “plus one” work and a bunch of unchargable stuff, and you've got to play along if you want to be rated as good. basically do extra work for free, on top of your actual project, otherwise your performance looks weak. it’s a scam imho...

staffing is a constant headache and the process is not clear at all andd you never know who makes the decisions, and every time you’re scrambling just to land somewhere. feels like you’re rolling dice more than planning a career.

and forget about keeping your tech skills. most people get pushed into business analyst or pm type roles whether they want to or not. you stop coding, you stop building, you end up in meetings taking notes. your skills just rot away.

ok, soooo -- no promotions, no raises. fine... 2+ yrs of nothing for a lot of people. they just say wait, be patient... but nothing changes. what’s the point of working harder if the outcome is the same??

nobody will be surprised when I say that everyone i know is pulling overtime, weekends, late nights. they say it’s temporary but it’s always like that. that's just acn, that's what they say. and that's the game they've been playing for decades. it just becomes normal. at this point you start asking yourself, why am i even here???

1. America first - Shipment of jobs to the CEO's and CFO's is a conflict of interest.
2. Eliminate the prior regime's dross - The use of consultants at Waters has wreaked havoc.
3. Use qualified ppl. for leader roles - Rewarding the LT's cronies has NOT worked out well.

I'm watching the dumpster fire with me popcorn.

Just announced today. Last day for Accenture folks is December 15, 2025. Merry Christmas.

I came here from Accenture after a long career with Tata and Deloitte. Perficient's culture is surprising poor compared to these firms and this has a lot to do with absent leadership. I only hear about things when something is wrong, but never hear when things are done right. Is it just me or does this place struggle to support it's staff? I've never felt more like a cog in a machine as I do here.