Accenture Names New Chief Operating Officer

Accenture on Monday said it has named Stephen Rohleder to the position of chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1.

Rohleder, 46, is currently CEO of Accenture's government operating group. He succeeds Stephan James, who is retiring after 36 years with the company. Martin Cole, 48, will succeed Rohleder in the government group.

The moves come at a crucial time for Accenture. The company recently won a multibillion-dollar contract to build a border-control system for the Department of Homeland Security. However, the House Appropriations Committee last week passed an amendment that would strip Accenture of the contract because it's not headquartered in the United States.

Accenture executives will doubtless be working hard over the coming weeks to convince key Congressional members that the IT-services and consulting firm, based in Bermuda, pays its fair share of U.S. taxes and is entitled to the work. The amendment must be approved by both of houses of Congress and signed by the president to become law.