Andersen's AI Play: Fusing Global Scale with Human-Centric Ethics

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – December 11, 2025 – In a move that underscores a significant shift in the global consulting landscape, Andersen Consulting has announced a collaboration agreement with LBC, a Portugal-based international firm. While partnerships are common in the race for technological supremacy, this alliance signals more than just an expansion of capability. It represents a deliberate pivot towards an ethically-grounded, human-centric model of AI-driven transformation, a strategy that could redefine the competitive dynamics for high-stakes projects in both the public and private sectors.

The agreement brings LBC’s specialized expertise in business optimization, digital transformation, and human capital development into Andersen’s formidable global network. LBC is distinguished by its philosophy of blending creativity and human ethics with AI to drive sustainable value. As organizations from defense ministries to multinational energy firms grapple with the disruptive power of artificial intelligence, the Andersen-LBC partnership highlights a growing market realization: successful transformation is not merely about deploying algorithms, but about fundamentally reshaping organizations and empowering their people.

Mark L. Vorsatz, global chairman and CEO of Andersen, framed the collaboration in terms of execution and mindset. “Transformation is not simply about having a roadmap; it requires a mindset rooted in agility, accountability, and sustained execution,” he stated. “What makes LBC stand out is their ability to blend strategic insight with digital transformation and talent development, supported by AI enablement in a way that drives real behavioral change and long-term performance.”

A Strategy of Strategic Alliances

This collaboration is not an isolated event but the latest move in Andersen Consulting's deliberate and aggressive strategy to build a world-class AI and digital transformation powerhouse through a network of specialized alliances. Rather than attempting to build every capability in-house—a slow and often inefficient process—Andersen is curating an ecosystem of innovators. This agile approach allows the firm to rapidly integrate deep, niche expertise and offer clients highly specialized solutions under a unified global platform.

Looking back at the past year reveals a clear pattern. In July 2025, Andersen partnered with U.S.-based NextGen Invent to deepen its capabilities in generative AI, machine learning, and IoT. This was followed in October by a collaboration with UK-headquartered Acronotics, a specialist in AI-led business transformation for Fortune 500 companies, bringing expertise in Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Just last month, in November, an agreement with South Africa-based Cloud23 bolstered Andersen’s ability to integrate data and AI for platform-based solutions in finance and telecom.

The LBC agreement fits perfectly within this framework, adding a crucial and distinct dimension. While other partners brought technical prowess in specific AI domains, LBC brings a proven methodology for ensuring that technology serves human and business goals. This web of collaborations positions Andersen Consulting not as a monolithic entity, but as a dynamic hub connecting global scale with specialized, cutting-edge innovation from around the world.

Beyond the Algorithm: The Human-First Mandate

The true strategic weight of the Andersen-LBC partnership lies in its explicit focus on the human side of technological change. In a market saturated with promises of AI-driven efficiency, LBC’s approach offers a compelling differentiator. The firm’s methodology reportedly dedicates 60% of project effort to understanding and transforming the business and its people, with only 40% focused on data, technology, and algorithms. This human-first philosophy is institutionalized in its dedicated Analytics & AI Competence Centers in Lisbon and Munich, which serve global markets with a mandate to develop AI that enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity and judgment.

This focus is critical for clients in sensitive and highly regulated sectors, including government, defense, and critical infrastructure, where the ethical implications of AI are paramount. Deploying AI in these environments requires more than technical validation; it demands a framework for responsible implementation, bias mitigation, and transparent governance. LBC's emphasis on co-creating “meaningful and enduring impact,” as described by its founder and CEO Carlos Valleré de Oliveira, speaks directly to this need. “Collaborating with Andersen Consulting amplifies our ability to do that across geographies and industries, bringing added relevance, resources, and reach to the work we are deeply committed to,” Oliveira noted.

By integrating this ethos, Andersen is better equipped to address the most significant barrier to successful digital transformation: organizational resistance and the failure to foster new skills and behaviors. The partnership’s focus on human capital development, talent strategy, and behavioral change provides a pathway for clients to ensure that their massive investments in technology yield long-term, sustainable performance improvements.

The New Competitive Battlefield

The collaboration arrives as the AI consulting market is experiencing explosive growth, with forecasts projecting an expansion from approximately $11 billion in 2025 to over $90 billion by 2035. This lucrative field is a key battleground for global consulting giants, including Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and McKinsey, all of which are heavily investing in their AI practices. In this crowded arena, the ability to offer an integrated, end-to-end solution that addresses strategy, technology, and people is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Andersen Consulting’s strategy appears designed to meet this demand head-on. By pairing LBC’s human-centric AI specialization with Andersen Global's comprehensive service model—which includes world-class tax, legal, valuation, and advisory expertise across 1,000 locations—the firm can offer a uniquely holistic value proposition. For a multinational corporation or a government agency undertaking a complex transformation, this means a single partner can manage the technological deployment, navigate the complex regulatory and tax implications, and steer the necessary cultural and organizational evolution.

This integrated approach directly challenges the siloed service models of the past. It shifts the consultant's role from a narrow advisor to a strategic partner in value creation. As clients increasingly demand measurable ROI and sustainable outcomes, the ability to connect all the dots of a complex transformation will become the primary determinant of market leadership. The Andersen-LBC alliance is a clear declaration of intent to compete and win on this new, integrated battlefield, leveraging LBC’s established footprint in key sectors across Africa, the Americas, and Europe to accelerate its global charge.