Accenture to acquire Anser Advisory, expand capital project services
Accenture has agreed to acquire Anser Advisory, a Santa Ana, CA-headquartered consulting firm that provides advisory, compliance, and management services for infrastructure projects.
Founded in 1996, Anser advises capital project owners on how to structure, estimate, and plan projects; monitor the work being done; and manage and execute all phases of projects. The firm is increasingly working on clean energy initiatives across sustainability programs, fleet electrification, and energy transmission, distribution, and storage.
Anser works with corporate, state and local, and federal government clients in the United States.
Accenture’s acquisition of Anser will expand its capital project capabilities and move the consultancy into an adjacent business with an estimated $88 billion addressable market in North America.
Stimulus spending in infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy is expected to drive non-residential spending to over $1 trillion in the US in 2023. Programs include building and modernizing electric grids, water projects, rail, airports, EV charging, public buildings, and semiconductor plants.
“Accenture and Anser Advisory will support our clients’ critical capital projects by combining ‘boots on the ground’ know-how, deep industry expertise, and leading-edge digital capabilities – while also opening new adjacent market share opportunities for Accenture,” Aaron Saint, North America lead for Accenture Industry X, said. “Given the large-scale investments and projected labor shortages in North America, this is the right time to combine our capabilities and help deliver on our clients’ ambitious infrastructure commitments.”
Anser has approximately 1,200 people across 13 states. Pending regulatory approval, Accenture will acquire the company’s private sector and state and local public practices, which have 920 employees.
Sterling Investment Partners will retain the 280-person federal practice, which will spin off as Markon Solutions. Sterling, a mid-market private equity firm headquartered in Westport, CT, previously acquired Anser in March 2021.
“Clients engage Anser Advisory as a trusted advisor to minimize risk and maximize outcomes when they invest in critical infrastructure,” Bryan Carruthers, CEO of Anser Advisory, said. “By joining Accenture, we will be able to provide new value and scale to our clients to support their missions and opportunities for our people to grow their careers at one of the world’s most prestigious companies.”
Accenture’s recent acquisitions in the asset-intensive industry market include Eclipse Automation, a provider of manufacturing automation and robotics solutions; Umlaut, an engineering services provider; and Advoco, an asset management services provider.
