He retired in 2006 after a tenure highlighted by significant growth and strategic changes for the consulting firm. In 2000, he finalized Accenture’s split from Andersen Worldwide and successfully led its IPO and international rebranding campaign. As a result of the latter, within four years, Accenture was ranked among the top-50 global brands and #1 in its category.
While Forehand served as CEO at Accenture, the firm’s revenue grew from $9.6 billion to $13.7 billion, and added nearly 40,000 employees to its workforce. After retiring, Forehand served as a senior advisor on technology buyouts with the global private equity firm Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts, also known as KKR.
During his time at KKR, he served as a board member of First Data Corporation, one of KKR’s largest sponsored transactions, for eight years, and had tenures as the Chairman of the Board and Interim CEO in that period. Furthermore, while at KKR, he served on the board of Aricent, a global design and engineering technology company, and was board chairman for a three-year period.
Forehand is devoted to Auburn University, his alma mater. He served on the Auburn University Foundation’s board of directors and investment committee and was co-chair of its successful – and record breaking – $1.2 billion capital campaign. Moreover, he established three professorships and 11 endowed scholarships at the school. He is a member of the university’s 1856 Society on the Founders’ Circle level and was inducted to Auburn’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2018.
In 2001, he was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, among many other honors and distinctions related to his leadership and contributions to the business world and community.
Raised in Alabama, Forehand graduated from Auburn University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and was named an outstanding alumnus of the program in 1995. He received a Master of Science degree in industrial administration from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in 1972 and named an honorary doctor of management in 2005. He was in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1971 to 1979 and was honorably discharged at the rank of captain.
He and his wife, Gayle, have two sons, Christopher and Kevin.
