Julie Sweet
| Personal details | |
| Born | Julie Terese Spellman 1967/1/1 (age 58) 🇺🇸 Tustin, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | 🇺🇸 American |
| Education | B.A. International Affairs J.D. |
| Spouse |
Chad Creighton Sweet
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 (Chloe, Abby) |
| Career details | |
| Occupation | Chair and CEO, Accenture |
| Compensation | $24.9 million (2024) |
| Net worth | $51.6M–$126M (2024 estimates) |
Julie Terese Sweet (née Spellman; born 1967) is an American business executive and attorney serving as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, a global professional services company with $64B+ annual revenue and 774,000 employees worldwide. Born in Tustin, California, to working-class family (father worked auto body shop, mother graduated college as adult), Sweet earned B.A. International Affairs from Claremont McKenna College (1989) and J.D. from Columbia Law School (1992). Spent 17 years at prestigious law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore (partner 1999-2010), joined Accenture as General Counsel 2010, became CEO North America 2015, promoted CEO September 2019 (first woman to hold position), elevated to Chair September 2021. Her 2024 compensation reached $24.9M ($1.55M base, $2M bonus, $21M stock). Net worth estimated $51.6M-$126M primarily from Accenture stock holdings.
Married Chad Creighton Sweet October 3, 2004 (met at mutual friend's wedding in Singapore), investment banker who served as Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign chairman and DHS Chief of Staff under George W. Bush. Two daughters: Chloe and Abby (Ted Cruz serves as godfather to one daughter). Family lives Bethesda, Maryland. Named Fortune's #1 Most Powerful Woman 2020, TIME's 100 Most Influential People 2024. Tenure marked by revenue growth from $43B (2019) to $64B (2024) but also controversies: accused of publicly "shaming" executive with ADHD Kevin Lacy at 2022 company event, discontinued diversity goals February 2025 despite previous advocacy. Pay ratio 1,127-to-1 versus median employee. Only woman Fortune 500 CEO married to Republican campaign chairman, creating unique political dynamic in tech industry.
Early Life and Education
Born 1967 in Tustin, California, to working-class family. Father worked in auto body shop, mother graduated from college as adult, demonstrating educational ambition Julie would inherit. Grew up in Tustin and competed in speech and debate at Tustin High School, developing advocacy skills that would serve legal and business careers. Decided she wanted to be lawyer in eighth grade, demonstrating early career clarity unusual for adolescent.
Attended Claremont McKenna College, earned B.A. International Affairs (1989). Continued to Columbia Law School, earned J.D. (1992), gaining entry to prestigious legal profession despite non-elite family background.
Career
Cravath, Swaine & Moore (1992-2010)
Joined elite law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore 1992 immediately after Columbia graduation. When Sweet started at Cravath in 1992, there were just two female partners at firm—stark gender imbalance in legal profession at time. Worked 17 years at firm, specializing in corporate law and mergers & acquisitions. 1999: Named partner at Cravath, becoming ninth woman partner in firm's history. Served as partner for 10 years (1999-2010), establishing reputation as skilled corporate attorney capable of managing complex transactions.
Accenture (2010-Present)
April 2010: Accenture recruited Sweet as General Counsel, North America, marking transition from law firm to corporate executive role. Managed legal affairs for Accenture's largest geographic market.
2015: Promoted to CEO of Accenture North America, the company's largest market by revenue. Oversaw operations across United States, Canada, responsible for substantial portion of company's $35B+ annual revenue at time. Demonstrated business acumen beyond legal expertise, managing P&L responsibilities and client relationships.
September 1, 2019: Succeeded Pierre Nanterme (who died from cancer) as CEO of Accenture, becoming first woman to hold position in company's history. At time of appointment, Accenture employed 500,000+ people across 120 countries, generating $43B annual revenue.
September 2021: Elevated to Chair of Accenture's Board of Directors while retaining CEO title, consolidating leadership authority in single individual (chair-CEO combined role).
Under Sweet's leadership (2019-2024), Accenture grew revenue from $43B to $64B (49% increase), expanded workforce to 774,000 employees, strengthened cloud computing and AI capabilities through acquisitions and organic growth. Navigated COVID-19 pandemic, accelerated digital transformation services as companies shifted to remote operations. Emphasized diversity initiatives publicly while facing criticism for discontinuing some programs.
Personal Life
Married Chad Creighton Sweet October 3, 2004, in wedding ceremony in San Antonio, Texas. Couple met in Singapore at wedding of mutual friend, began long-distance relationship that led to marriage. Chad Creighton Sweet is investment banker and Republican political operative who served as Chief of Staff of United States Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush (2005-2007), co-founded security consulting firm The Chertoff Group with former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, and chaired Senator Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign. Sweet's marriage to prominent Republican operative creates unusual dynamic given Accenture's tech industry positioning and her advocacy for progressive corporate policies.
Two daughters: Chloe and Abby. Senator Ted Cruz serves as godfather to one of daughters, reflecting deep family friendship with Cruz political circle. Family resides in Bethesda, Maryland, wealthy Washington D.C. suburb. Named to Working Mother magazine's "50 Most Powerful Moms of 2019" list, balancing CEO responsibilities with parenting.
Sweet maintains active social media presence, particularly LinkedIn, where shares leadership insights and company updates. Despite CEO demands, prioritizes family time and has spoken publicly about challenges of work-life balance for women executives.
Compensation
$24,915,146 total compensation fiscal year 2024 (per proxy statement): $1,550,000 base salary, $2,000,000 cash bonus, $21,048,615 stock awards, $316,531 other compensation. Represents slight decrease from 2023 compensation of $31.6M. Accenture disclosed CEO pay ratio 1,127-to-1 versus median employee for fiscal year 2024—Sweet earned 1,127 times what median Accenture employee earned, among highest ratios in professional services industry.
Net worth estimated between $51.6M-$126M as of 2024, with most wealth tied to Accenture stock holdings. More conservative estimates place net worth at $51.6M based on documented stock sales and holdings, while broader estimates reach $126M including unvested equity and other assets.
Awards and Recognition
Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list annually since 2016. Named #1 on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list for 2020, peak of recognition. TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2024. Technology Magazine's Top 100 Women in Technology 2024 (#5). Anti-Defamation League's 2024 Courage Against Hate Award, presented at ADL's 2024 Never Is Now Summit, recognizing Accenture's "deep commitment to ethical leadership and zero tolerance for antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and hate speech." Named to various "most powerful" lists by Forbes, Bloomberg, other business publications.
Board memberships: serves on Board of Advisors for Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (China), reflecting Accenture's global positioning.
Controversies
Kevin Lacy ADHD Discrimination Allegations
April 2024: Accenture faced lawsuit alleging discrimination against senior executive Kevin Lacy, who has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Lacy alleged that at company event in 2022, Sweet "publicly and bluntly cut [Lacy] off in front of around 1,000 [Accenture] staff" while he was presenting, constituting public "shaming" of executive with neurological disability. Lawsuit claimed Accenture discriminated against Lacy because of his ADHD condition, ultimately leading to his termination.
Sweet denied allegations, stating she "politely" asked Lacy to stop presentation and did not publicly shame him. Accenture defended Sweet's actions as appropriate business management rather than disability discrimination. Case raised questions about how companies manage executives with disclosed disabilities and whether Sweet's leadership style was too aggressive. Lawsuit drew media attention in Ireland (Accenture's legal headquarters) and United States, putting spotlight on corporate culture under Sweet's leadership.
Diversity Goals Discontinuation
February 2025: Under Sweet's leadership, Accenture discontinued global employee representation goals and paused participation in external diversity benchmarking surveys. Decision drew immediate criticism given Sweet's previous high-profile advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As first female CEO of major professional services firm, Sweet had prominently championed gender diversity and inclusive hiring practices 2019-2024.
Reversal coincided with broader corporate retreat from DEI commitments following political pressure and changing legal landscape in United States (Supreme Court affirmative action decisions, state-level DEI bans). Critics accused Sweet of abandoning principles when politically convenient, particularly given her previous statements positioning diversity as "business imperative" rather than just social responsibility. Accenture defended decision as "evolution" of diversity strategy, focusing on "skills-first hiring" rather than demographic targets. Shift created internal tensions at company with 774,000 employees across diverse global markets.
CEO Pay Ratio Criticism
Sweet's 1,127-to-1 pay ratio versus median Accenture employee has drawn criticism from labor advocates and compensation watchdogs. While high pay ratios common in S&P 500 companies, Accenture's ratio particularly striking given company's reliance on large workforce of consultants and contractors. AFL-CIO's Executive Paywatch has highlighted Sweet's compensation as example of CEO pay excess. Sweet defended compensation as performance-based and aligned with shareholder returns, noting Accenture stock price increased substantially during her tenure.
Political Contradictions
Sweet's marriage to Ted Cruz campaign chairman Chad Creighton Sweet creates perceived contradictions with her public progressive positioning on LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and diversity. Ted Cruz (godfather to one of Sweet's daughters) has opposed many corporate DEI initiatives Sweet previously championed. Critics have questioned how Sweet reconciles personal family relationships with Republican political figures and Accenture's corporate advocacy for progressive policies. Sweet has not publicly addressed these contradictions, maintaining separation between personal life and professional role.