Julie Spellman Sweet has served as General Counsel since 2010.

Julie Spellman Sweet has served as General Counsel since 2010.

Accenture, the global management consulting and technology services powerhouse, has named Julie Spellman Sweet as the new chief executive for North America.  Having served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer since 2010, Sweet’s move underscores the premium companies place on the combined business acumen and legal skills of in-house counsel.

“Julie has distinguished herself as a key member of our senior leadership team,” said Pierre Nanterme, the company’s chairman and CEO, in a statement cited by Corporate Counsel. “She has made a significant contribution to our business strategy and our investment strategy, as well as to our Capital Committee, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to our clients and our people.”

Prior to joining Accenture in 2010, Sweet served as a partner for a decade in New York and Chinese offices of corporate law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

In an interview with Leadership magazine in 2012, Sweet talked about the qualities she looks for in hiring and promoting attorneys. They were: “Understanding what integrity means; [having] the ability to show empathy, because you need to understand the other point of view in order to be a better lawyer and communicate hard messages; and demonstrating the courage to deliver those hard messages. For me, it’s also about being willing to challenge yourself and your thinking. No one on my leadership team sits on the sidelines.”

Sweet will be replaced by Chad Jerdee, her deputy general counsel for sales and delivery and senior managing director, who has been with Accenture since 1997. Jerdee will join her on the company’s global management committee. Both appointments become effective June 1.  Sweet replaces Stephen Rohleder, who is retiring on August 31.