David Droga to step down as CEO of Accenture Song

David Droga is stepping down as Accenture Song’s chief executive and will become Accenture’s vice chair.

Droga will relinquish his day-to-day leadership responsibilities to take on a “broader strategic role” across Accenture from 1 September. 

Ndidi Oteh, Accenture Song Americas lead, will take over as chief executive of Accenture Song. She will also join Accenture’s Global Management Committee. 

Nick Law, creative chair, has also been promoted to Accenture Song creative strategy and experience lead. He too will join the Accenture Global Management Committee.

Droga took on the CEO role in 2021 when the business was known as Accenture Interactive. He introduced Accenture Song a year later, which brought together a number of different brands and agencies that Accenture had acquired over the years.

It meant that Accenture Song had a new business model that brought together creativity, technology, design, AI, strategy and data. 

Accenture said that within four years, Song has grown revenue from $12.5bn in 2021 to $19bn in 2024. 

Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, said: “David Droga has long been a singular force and a once-in-a-generation creative leader and business builder and he has lived our core value of stewardship and has developed the next generation of leaders who will build an even better Song.

“He brings humanity, imagination, clarity and confidence to everything he touches and helps redefine how businesses grow and connect. His brilliance is matched only by his generosity, integrity and belief in others. As Accenture’s vice chair, his legacy and impact will continue for our people, our work and our purpose.”

Droga began his career in Australia and founded Droga5 in New York in 2006. The agency grew globally and was sold to Accenture in 2019 – at the time it was Accenture’s biggest deal to date. 

He is the most-awarded creative in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He was also the youngest to receive the Lion of St Mark, the festival’s lifetime achievement honour, at age 47. 

Droga said: “It has been a privilege to be part of so many missions and cultures around the world. With such extraordinary leadership in place, it felt like the right time. I could not be more confident that Ndidi, Sean and Nick will continue building on Song's legacy of innovation, creativity and performance. I am also deeply grateful for Julie Sweet's trust, our partnership, and what will be an enduring friendship."

He added: “I honestly could not be more grateful for my career and the opportunities I've had. The people who believed in me, the talent I've worked alongside, the clients we've served, the trust, the ambition, the camaraderie, it's all part of me.

“After 30-plus years of leaping, I am ready to catch my breath. And being vice chair will allow me to do that, but also to contribute in new ways. I am also excited to spend more time suffixing: Thinking, daydreaming, advising, investing, giving, mentoring, exploring, learning, playing, appreciating, family-ing, sleeping-in-ing."

Accenture said Droga's vice chair role will include “mentoring and advising on our key clients, our brand and innovation", adding: “David will contribute strategically to the entire firm, spreading it over more of Accenture. He’ll mentor the right people, put belief in the right ideas for the business. 

“Stepping down from his day-to-day leadership of Accenture Song will allow him to deploy his mind and thinking into the everyday within Accenture."