Piyush Bhatnagar will lead Accenture’s business in the Greater Toronto Area, having been named managing director of the office.

He will focus on innovating for the consultancy’s clients, attracting talent and strengthening its overall position in the Toronto market. He will also lead Accenture’s local community-oriented work, such as collaborations with non-profit organizations. Bhatnagar has been with Accenture for 23 years, and has previously managed its technology and – most recently – financial services practices. He will continue to serve as managing director of financial services – which has been a major focus for Accenture in Canada – in his new role.

Bhatnagar takes on the new role as Accenture continues to develop its offering for marketing clients, at a time when consultancies are thought to be encroaching on the territory of agencies. A recent Warc survey of 500 global senior planners and strategies found that 56% of them are concerned about what the rise of consultancies will mean for the business.

Following the departure of Bill Morris, Accenture Canada named Jeffrey Russell as president in November last year. He arrived just as Accenture was preparing to open its Canada Innovation Hub in Toronto, supported by more than 300 designers, data scientists and other staff and geared towards helping clients take an innovative approach to addressing business problems and turning them into tangible initiatives and solutions.

Accenture has similar tried to make strides on the AI front, an area where many companies have been seeking guidance. In September 2017, it hired Jodie Wallis as managing director of its Canadian AI practice in Canada. Among its many efforts to help clients overcome their AI hurdles, Wallis has helped launched an AI podcast alongside tech personality Amber Mac that delves into how businesses can leverage the new technology.