Strategy Principal Director - Mergers & Acquisition

M&A Strategist

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen servicescreating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities.

Within CEO Advisory, our Mergers and Acquisitions group focuses on helping clients achieve the full potential of dealsboth corporate and private equityfrom idea inception to execution and value capture.

Your Role

We're seeking a seasoned strategist who thrives across the M&A lifecyclebringing innovation, sound judgment, and a passion for applying GenAI to unlock value at every stage of the deal. You will lead teams to help C-suite executives shape and execute growth, portfolio, and transformation strategies enabled by M&A. You'll own client relationships, drive deal theses, quantify value creation, and orchestrate integration and separation programs that deliver measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

Client Advisory & Project Delivery

• Serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite leaders in Fortune 500 and FTSE companies, advising on strategic transactions, transformation, and value creation.

• Oversee full-scope M&A engagements: deal framing, target screening, due diligence, integration planning, joint venture development, carve-out and divestiture planning.

• Ensure each engagement delivers on value creation targets, risk mitigation, and strategic alignment.

Thought Leadership & Business Development

• Represent Accenture in the market through published insights, conference speaking, and industry panels.

• Collaborate with Accenture's global M&A and industry teams to shape go-to-market offerings.

• Drive pipeline opportunities from origination to signed contract and delivery, leveraging capabilities and offerings across Accenture.

Talent Development

• Lead and inspire teams of strategy consultants, ensuring delivery excellence and fostering a high-performance culture.

• Mentor and coach junior team members to grow their M&A expertise and consulting capabilities.

GenAI-Powered M&A Innovation

• Embed GenAI into M&A workflowsaccelerating target identification, synthesizing diligence findings, guiding integration planning, and enabling post-merger capability building.

• Design and implement AI-augmented frameworks, playbooks, and performance measurement tools to strengthen and future-proof M&A execution.

Travel

• As needed, up to 80%

Re's what you need:

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience in strategy consulting, corporate development, investment banking, or private equity, with significant M&A focus
• Minimum of 5 years of experience originating, qualifying, and closing new opportunitiesincluding developing proposals and engaging in business development activities.

Bonus points if you have:

• MBA or advanced degree in strategy, finance, or related field preferred.
• Deep knowledge of at least one major industry (e.g., Technology, Consumer Goods, Life Sciences, Energy, Financial Services).
• Proven application of AI/GenAI tools in strategic or M&A-related contexts.
• Established network within Corporate Development, Banking, or Private Equity (VP-level and above).
• Technology / IT M&A functional experience (e.g., IT due diligence, integration/separation planning, IT TSA design; application portfolio rationalization; ERP carve-outs, cybersecurity risk assessment; IT cost & synergy modeling)
• Strong quantitative analysis skills, including financial analysis, competitive intelligence, and market analysis.
• Deep M&A lifecycle experience: strategy, due diligence, integration/separation planning, carve-outs, joint ventures.
• Proven success managing senior client relationships and delivering high-value outcomes.
• Strong communication, presentation, and executive presence skills.
• Experience with synergy modeling, transaction cost analysis, and value capture planning.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with multiple priorities.
• Experience collaborating across deal ecosystems: bankers, legal advisors, target leadership, operational executives.
• Track record in identifying and executing on divestiture, acquisition, or alliance opportunities.
• Proven track record leading M&A strategy engagements from inception through execution with measurable client impact