Building and leading one of the world's most respected contract management groups has resulted in a prestigious individual honor for Accenture’s Margaret Smith.

In naming Smith an Honorary Fellow for Contract & Commercial Management, the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) recognizes Accenture’s executive director of Contract Management for her applied knowledge and technical skills as well as her contributions to thought leadership and innovation in her profession.

Smith, previously a senior executive in the Consulting and Outsourcing practices, leads a global team of more than 500 professionals, which the IACCM honored earlier this year in naming Accenture to the No. 2 spot on its “Most Admired Global Companies in Contract Management” rankings. The ranking was achieved by polling more than 400 companies, many of them Accenture clients.




“This recognition for my team and me benefits the company because it shows we are shaping the contract management function and helping enable Accenture to be easier to do business with,” Smith says. “It shows that we deliver high performance.”

Vince Taylor, managing director of Commercial & Contract Management, adds, "The leadership that Margaret brings to the Contract Management group is exceptional. She understands what adds value and how to get directly to it. Recently, a Diamond Client told its Accenture senior executive that since the contract manager was assigned, they find it even easier to do business with Accenture. That kind of feedback is a direct result of what Margaret brings to contract management and Accenture.”

Dedicated to family at work and at home
Smith explained that the job of the Contract Management group is to ensure that Accenture complies with all company contracts and that clients also live up to their expectations.

“Accenture has been doing some groundbreaking work in taking this function to the next level,” she said. “We have made contract management central to how Accenture delivers its business. It has taken a while, but clients are saying that they like working with our Contract Management group. We now have clients asking how they can get advice themselves on improving their internal contract management functions.”

The Accenture Contract Management group has its origins in the North America Public Service operating group, and from North America to around the globe. Contract Management has grown over the past four years under Smith’s leadership to become an integral part of Accenture’s global operations in 34 countries.

“We have built this community of individuals all pulling in the same direction, dedicated to a passion,” Smith says.

Smith, a mother of four young boys and married to Nigel Smith, senior executive-Financial Services, has 21 years with Accenture, primarily in roles involving large-scale contract negotiations with both clients and subcontractors.

“My biggest challenge is to balance running an organization I feel quite personal and passionate about with being a wife and mother to my four boys,” Smith says. “I feel like I run two families, the one at home and the other here at Accenture.”