One of the world's leading players on the market of management consultancy and technology services is set to enter the Romanian market, as well. Accenture, a company that posted net revenues of 11.6 billion dollars in 2002, listed on the New York Stock Exchange and operating in 47 countries, is now completing all the formalities needed to open a branch in Romania.
The Romanian market was chosen from a group that also comprised another five potential targets: Croatia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine.
"Our decision was based on the maturity reached by the Romanian market, including the sector of IT counseling in financial services," said Maurizio Barini, head of the Accenture financial services division in Central and Eastern Europe. Barini coordinates the launch of the company's operations in Romania.
"We hope that the extensive experience gained by Accenture, especially in the Central and Eastern European area, will contribute to an increase in operations on the Romanian market, as well," Barini said.
Viorel Batu, former general manager of Arthur Andersen Romania and former partner with Ernst & Young, will head the Accenture operations in Romania.
"Accenture brings to Romania a novel approach in counseling, based on a broad range of services and solutions, very detailed knowledge and expertise developed during more than ten years of operations in Central Europe," Viorel Batu told Ziarul Financiar.
The company has been operating in Central Europe since 1991. It did have some sporadic projects in Romania, such as reorganising the former Regie Autonome Romgaz in 1995. The legal status of the company's presence on the Romanian market has not been defined yet, but 80% of the consultants will be Romanians in touch with the local market, with the other 20% reserved for foreigners.
Accenture has already submitted a bid for a project and is in talks with a mobile telephony operator and several banks.
"All we need is to land a project and then the Accenture difference will be seen immediately," Batu says. In his opinion, the Romanian market of management services is highly volatile because many projects take longer than one year to complete and feature a certain degree of uncertainty.
"The market could be estimated at 20 million dollars. I am convinced that the IT solutions consultancy alone has a potential exceeding $10 million," Batu states. razvan.voican@zf.ro
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