West Midland Mayor’s America trip success as consultancy opens a new office in Birmingham

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West Midlands Mayor Andy Street travelled to north America in May with a number of leading West Midlands business and tourism figures including Birmingham-born celebrity chef, Glynn Purnell

Technology and advisory giant Accenture has announced that it is opening a new office in Birmingham. The Irish-American business plans to create 1,500 new jobs outside London and the South East over the next two years.

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In the West Midlands there is already a strong pipeline of work for Accenture: the business is currently working on Birmingham’s Net Zero City Sprint (NZCS), which aims to create a coalition across public and private sectors to move the city towards meeting its net zero targets.

This has seen Accenture develop sturdy relations with the University of Birmingham and Aston University. Meanwhile, the last two years have also seen the firm expand in the Midlands following a number of acquisitions, with purchases including retail technology and supply chain consultancy REPL Group, SAP partner Edenhouse and customer experience specialists Spark44. Its new office will open at Norfolk House in Birmingham city centre.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street revealed the news on his Facebook account, posting: “It’s only been a few months since I flew to Chicago to help convince Accenture to move to the WM, & now they’ve found their new home. Big news for the region as they’re the latest company to take staff out of London & the South East and into the WM.”

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From left: Alex Claridge, Mayor Andy Street, Aktar Islam and Glynn Purnell promoting careers in hospitality at Opheem restaurant September 2021From left: Alex Claridge, Mayor Andy Street, Aktar Islam and Glynn Purnell promoting careers in hospitality at Opheem restaurant September 2021
From left: Alex Claridge, Mayor Andy Street, Aktar Islam and Glynn Purnell promoting careers in hospitality at Opheem restaurant September 2021 | West Midlands Combined Authority

The Mayor headed off on a transatlantic trade mission to North America in May to beat the drum for the region with investors, business leaders and tourist chiefs.

The week-long trip to the USA and Canada saw the Mayor visit Chicago before travelling to Toronto where he lead a West Midlands showcase event featuring the arrival in the city of the Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games. He was joined by a number of leading West Midlands business and tourism figures including Birmingham-born celebrity chef, Glynn Purnell.

The US leg of the trip saw the Mayor visit the Chicago offices of prominent businesses operating in the West Midlands to discuss growth and investment plans, including Mondelez International, owner of Cadbury; Kagool, a leading global data and analytics specialist headquartered in Coventry and professional services company Accenture, where discussions will take place on growing the firm’s capabilities in the West Midlands, with a particular focus on driving innovation in the financial services and digital manufacturing sectors.

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Norfolk House, BirminghamNorfolk House, Birmingham
Norfolk House, Birmingham | Norfolk House, Birmingham

What does the new Accenture office mean for Birmingham?

The consultancy’s new hub in Birmingham’s Norfolk House will bring together and expand their capabilities in the West Midlands, working to serve clients both locally in the West Midlands and across the UK.

In particular, the office will focus on driving innovation in the financial services and digital manufacturing sectors – adding key lines of expertise to Accenture’s existing operations across the UK, with hubs in Scotland, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the South East.

Accenture’s new office is also being hailed as yet another milestone investment for the West Midlands - delivering hundreds of high-value new jobs to meet rising local demand for technology and financial services expertise. The region’s emerging capabilities in fields including industry 4.0, fintech and low carbon technologies, while the West Midlands’ digital employment base totals 76,000 people. This has attracted a growing number of professional services firms to its largest cities in recent years, while others have ramped up their team with extensive hiring campaigns.

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What has Accenture said about their new office in Birmingham?

Paul Stanley, Midlands Lead for Accenture, commented, “We are committed to contributing to regional prosperity around the UK. Building on the Midlands’ manufacturing heritage, financial services strength, world-class education and connectivity to the rest of the UK, our Midlands hub will bring even stronger connections between our local people, clients and the wider community as well as being a focal point for our innovation expertise.”

Birmingham City Council Leader Ian WardBirmingham City Council Leader Ian Ward
Birmingham City Council Leader Ian Ward | Fionnuala Bourke

What has Birmingham City Council said about the move?

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Accenture’s new Midlands hub reinforces Birmingham’s reputation as a high-value and full-service professional services cluster, driven by a diverse range of FTSE listed companies and a booming headquarter economy.

“Such a considerable investment from the consultancy firm also signifies the breadth of quality talent in the region.

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“I’m delighted Accenture have chosen Birmingham for this substantial investment and look forward to supporting their growth journey in the region, which includes the creation and fulfilment of new, local jobs in professional services.”

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