Accenture Song has appointed the man who led IPG’s $2.3bn acquisition of Acxiom as its new global head of data and AI as the business looks to integrate its cloud and tech capabilities to drive better customer experiences for clients.
Arun Kumar, who has been working as an independent consultant since April this year, takes up the role with immediate effect.
Prior to that he spent over six years as chief data and marketing technology officer at IPG, where he not only led the Acxiom deal and integration into the group but was also responsible for SaaS-based technology company Kinesso, and addressable buying engine Matterkind, where he had previously worked as global president. In total, Kumar managed a workforce of 4,600 people across 30 countries.
He also spent four years as president of IPG Mediabrands audience platform G14, during which time he rolled out Mediabrands’ Cadreon trading desk across 12 markets in APAC, LATAM, and Western Europe. Kumar has also held senior roles at Dentsu in Singapore and Starcom in China.
Accenture’s first global head of data and analytics Jatinder Singh joined in March 2022, when it was called Accenture Interactive. He retains the role at the marketing practice, headed by CEO Annette King. The division sits alongside design & digital products; commerce; and service.
Accenture Song claims to be the world’s largest creative group, and its acquisitions include the recent deal for TMW and Nelson Bostock parent the Unlimited Group, as well as GemSeek, Mindcurv, Work & Co, Rabbit’s Tale, ConcentricLife, Fiftyfive5 and The Stable.
Due to its heritage with IT consultancy Accenture, the company also claims to be a leader in applying generative AI to responsibly create growth and relevance for businesses.
Accenture is now looking to leverage GenAI in creating new products and services; reinvent marketing and commerce by powering, creating, and scaling content and building intelligent sales and services.
Kumar will report to Accenture Song’s global chief strategy officer Baiju Shah, who said: “Arun is an industry visionary with extensive experience in leading data and AI solutions around the world. He has a proven track record of using data and AI to fuel business growth and brand relevance. I am looking forward to working closely with him to architect our future.”
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