Accenture's federal arm elevates Ash to CEO post
Ron Ash, current COO and soon-to-be CEO for Accenture Federal Services. Courtesy of Accenture.
By
Ross Wilkers
Ron Ash first joined Accenture Federal Services in 2002 after six years in other roles across the corporation.
Accenture's U.S. federal subsidiary has promoted its next chief executive from within the team's own ranks in Ron Ash, chief operating officer since 2022 and a 22-year veteran of that business.
Ash will start in the CEO post on Sept. 1 and also chair Accenture Federal Services' board of managers, roles held by John Goodman for the past seven years.
Goodman will step down from both positions on Aug. 31 and retire from Accenture on March 31, 2025, the company said Tuesday.
During Goodman's CEO tenure, AFS doubled in size to approximately 15,500 people and ramped up its investments in emerging technologies and human-centric design principles.
A substantial portion of that growth happened via the acquisitions of Novetta in 2021 and most recently Cognosante. Goodman also oversaw the expansion of AFS' initiatives in talent development, culture, inclusion and diversity.
Ash will be responsible for leading the continuation of those efforts, including work to further advance new tech such as generative artificial intelligence. He first joined the Accenture corporation in 1996 focused on global supply chain transformation across other industries.
His career at the federal subsidiary also includes leadership roles for its public safety portfolio, strategy and consulting growth platform, and diamond client accounts.
He also is an executive sponsor for AFS' Hispanic American Employee Resource Group.