Chris Howarth has been appointed as CEO of Avanade.

Howarth succeeds Rodrigo Caserta, who will step down as CEO after more than 11 years with Avanade to join Microsoft as Corporate Vice President, Small, Medium Enterprises & Channel (SME&C), Americas. Caserta has served as Avanade’s CEO since 2024.

Howarth has been closely involved with Avanade for more than five years through his leadership within the Accenture=Microsoft ecosystem, helping drive joint innovation, client success, and growth across the partnership.

After more than 28 years with Accenture, he will join Avanade as CEO, to lead Avanade through its next phase of growth, building on the company’s strong foundation and strategic priorities. He will retain ownership of the overall Microsoft relationship, recognizing the critical role Avanade plays in driving growth for Accenture and Microsoft across all customer segments.