3/1/02

ACCENTURE CHAIR, CEO TO RECEIVE ENGINEERING HALL OF FAME AWARD

AUBURN -- Joe W. Forehand, chairman and CEO of Accenture, the world's leading management and technology services organization, will receive the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame Award at his alma mater, Auburn University, on Friday, March 8.

Other AU alumni who were inducted earlier this year into the Hall of Fame were Keith King, president, CEO and chairman of Volkert and Associates; Ed L. Reynolds, president of network operations for Cingular Wireless; and veteran NASA astronaut Jim Voss.

Forehand will also be meeting with AU engineering students and faculty during his trip to Auburn.

"We are excited that Mr. Forehand is able to meet with engineering students and faculty despite his busy schedule," Larry Benefield, dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering said. "Joe truly exemplifies the kind of graduate that we hope to see in all of our students -- one who levers the knowledge gained on the Auburn campus to climb the peaks of corporate success."

In accepting the invitation, Forehand said, "Auburn's exceptional engineering program provided me with a solid foundation in industrial and systems-related engineering, and prepared me for the challenging world of business and technology. I still maintain a close relationship with the engineering program, and I look forward to getting back to campus, speaking with the students, and accepting the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame Award in person."

In addition to being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Forehand will also address AU engineering students about the challenges of being a leader in today's economy. His schedule includes a student address to discuss global business issues, a reunion with Saeed Maghsoodloo, Forehand's former probability and statistics professor; and an introduction to Taylor Kirkland Lightwood, an Industrial and Systems Engineering sophomore and the 2001-2002 Accenture Scholar.

Forehand will also meet with student teams from two local schools -- Lakeview and Auburn High -- that participated in Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST), a national robotics competition that culminates in Texas under the sponsorship of Accenture. In January 2001, InformationWeek magazine selected Forehand as one of the 15 most inspirational figures in the information technology industry. In June 2001, Consulting magazine named him the most influential consultant for 2001 and cited him as leading Accenture "to the outer edges of consulting's frontier."

In November 2001, VARBusiness magazine chose him as one of their top visionaries, and CRN magazine named him one of their top 25 executives for 2001.

A native of Alexander City, Ala., Forehand graduated from AU in 1971 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering.

He joined Accenture in 1972 in the Atlanta office, becoming a partner 10 years later. He received his master of science degree in industrial administration from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in 1972.

Forehand has had leadership responsibility for 11 of Accenture's 18 industry groups. Prior to becoming CEO in 1999, Forehand was managing partner for the organization's Communications & High Tech global market unit. In that role, he managed key components of

Accenture's global eCommerce efforts. Earlier, Forehand was managing partner for the global Products industry. Forehand is chairman of the board of directors, as well as the chairman of the Management Committee, the Executive Committee and the Global Leadership Council.

Through its network of businesses approach -- in which the company enhances its consulting and outsourcing expertise through alliances, affiliated companies and other capabilities -- Accenture delivers innovations that help clients across all industries quickly realize their visions. With more than 75,000 people in 47 countries, the company generated net revenues of $11.44 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2001.

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CONTACT: Forehand and Darienne Dennis of Accenture, 917/452-7760.