Accenture is preparing to sell its Greater China business for as much as $1.5 billion, according to a report by the Financial Times. The deal, if completed at the top of that range, would rank among the most consequential divestments by a major Western consultancy in the region.

The FT report says Accenture hired JPMorgan to review the unit. The mandate follows unsolicited interest from prospective buyers over the past year, the newspaper reported.

What does the sale process involve?

The review, led by JPMorgan, gives Accenture a formal channel to test buyer appetite that had already surfaced unprompted. Unsolicited approaches accumulated over the past twelve months, according to the FT, before the company appointed the bank to run the assessment.

Key elements of the situation as reported:

• Asset: Accenture's Greater China business, covering the consultancy's operations in the region.
• Indicative valuation: Up to $1.5 billion.
• Adviser: JPMorgan, hired to conduct the review.
• Trigger: Unsolicited buyer interest received over the past year.
• Source: A Financial Times report.

A review of this kind does not guarantee a transaction. Banks appointed to assess strategic options routinely weigh a full sale against structures including partial disposals or a decision to retain the business.

Why does the price matter?

The $1.5 billion figure sets the ceiling for what Accenture could command for the unit, according to the FT. For a company of Accenture's scale, the amount is modest in absolute terms, but the strategic signal of exiting Greater China would carry weight well beyond the deal value.

Global consultancies have spent two decades building significant footprints across the Chinese market. A decision by one of the largest of them to divest its regional operations would mark a clear inflection point for the industry's presence there.

The FT report did not specify a timeline for the process. It also did not name the parties that expressed unsolicited interest over the past year.

Who are the parties involved?

Accenture, headquartered in Dublin, is one of the world's largest consulting and professional services firms. JPMorgan, the Wall Street bank hired for the review, is a frequent adviser on large corporate disposals.

The Financial Times, which first reported the plan, attributed both the valuation range and the mandate to its reporting. Neither Accenture nor JPMorgan has publicly confirmed the details cited in the article, according to the report.

What happens next?

Any transaction would depend on the outcome of the JPMorgan-led review and on whether a buyer meets the valuation of up to $1.5 billion indicated in the FT report. Approaches received over the past year suggest a pool of interest already exists.

For Accenture's leadership, the calculation centers on whether the Greater China unit delivers more value inside the group or in the hands of a new owner. The $1.5 million-plus question — precisely, up to $1.5 billion — now sits with the bank running the process.

CEO Frontier will monitor the sale process and report on confirmed details as they emerge.