Koert succeeds Barty in Accenture Song’s strategic leadership change in South Africa

Source: © Bizcommunity. Image by Lesley Svenson. Accenture Song has announced that effective immediately, Celeste Koert (left) has been appointed as the new lead, succeeding James Barty (right), who has been in the role since April 2024

Barty will continue to support Koert in an advisory capacity.

The agency says the leadership change reinforces “its commitment to driving technology-powered, experience-led transformation across the African continent, powered by creativity at its core”.

“By blending technology, creativity, and deep industry expertise, the business aims to drive relevance, innovation, and sustained growth for its clients,” says the agency.

With Koert at the helm, the Accenture Song team is primed to continue pushing boundaries and delivering innovative solutions that address clients' evolving needs, fostering deeper and more meaningful connections.

This shift underscores the business’ dedication to helping clients stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and fast-paced market.

Strong foundation from Barty

Koert brings over 20 years of experience in digital customer transformation to her new role.

With a proven track record of building and scaling digital businesses, she has led high-performing digital customer teams across Africa, partnering with clients to reimagine and deliver their digital customer ambitions.

Her expertise spans multiple industries, including banking, telecoms, retail, energy, and mining, with a focus on digital design and product innovation, marketing excellence, service transformation, as well as sales effectiveness.

Koert says she believes in the power of creativity reinvention and to shape the future.

“By embracing digital transformation and fostering innovation, I am committed to helping our clients reimagine what’s possible.

“Together, we’ll craft solutions that not only solve today’s challenges but also pave the way for tomorrow’s opportunities – turning bold ideas into impactful realities.”

Thanking Barty she says he is a visionary leader in the industry.

“His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence have not only propelled the business to new heights but have also paved a solid substance for the next chapter of growth and innovation.

“I’m humbled to build on the strong foundation he has laid.”

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Drive transformative change

Barty says that throughout his journey, he has always believed that creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of building meaningful brand value.

“It has been an honour to lead and collaborate with such a talented Accenture team, bringing together the undeniable power of new technologies and the inherent emotion in bold creative ideas.

“As I step into my next chapter in an Advisory role to Song, I am confident that the foundation we’ve built together with the amazing talents we have across the business will continue to inspire growth, spark new ideas, and drive transformative change for our clients for years to come."

Accenture Song extends deep gratitude to Barty for his contributions to the growth and success of the business.

An integral contributor, his creativity, strategic vision, and leadership helped shape the innovative solutions and transformative experiences clients received.