ACCENTURE has unveiled a new leadership team for its operation in Scotland, writes Scott Wright.

Michelle Hawkins and Les Bayne have been appointed joint leaders and will replace Bill McDonald, who is retiring in September after nearly 20 years with the professional services firm.

Ms Hawkins joined the firm in 1995 and was most recently global director of delivery for Accenture Technology. Mr Bayne has been with Accenture Scotland since 2001 and he was latterly a managing director in Accenture Operations.

The firm said the duo, who will head Accenture’s people and operations in Scotland, brings a diverse set of skills to their positions.

Olly Benzecry, country managing director for Accenture UK, said: “I am delighted that Michelle and Les have taken up this joint leadership role. They are both passionate about the success of Scotland and have extensive global experience. The Scottish business has great potential and we are seeing significant demand for our services, particularly relating to the application of new technologies to help clients transform their business. Over the last 11 years, Bill McDonald has done a terrific job building up the team in Scotland, and Les and Michelle will now capitalise on that to drive further growth.”