Georgia Tech Athletics Donor Profile: Bob Anclien

 • Alexander-Tharpe Fund Donor Profiles

If you meet Bob Anclien, you'd think that he's been a Georgia Tech supporter his whole life, especially since he grew up in suburban Atlanta. His tireless efforts have helped numerous campus organizations and initiatives, but he almost chose to attend Tech's archrival.

Anclien grew up in nearby Tucker, but he wasn't much of Tech fan as a youngster. As a senior at Tucker High School, he received appointments to both West Point and the Naval Academy. He opted to go to Annapolis and major in engineering.

After two years as a Midshipman, Anclien decided to resign and attend a school closer to home. He narrowed his choices to two rival schools. "It's ironic that I'm such a huge Georgia Tech fan now, because when I left the Naval Academy, I considered both Georgia and Georgia Tech," he said. In the end, he picked Tech because of its academic reputation, but instead of continuing the pursuit of an engineering degree, he chose to focus on business.

As an Industrial Management major, Anclien found the curriculum to be challenging. "The service academies have a great academic reputation, but I think Georgia Tech is even better," he stated. "They both are very demanding, and there's no place to hide in the curriculum. You have to take the tough courses. They treat you fairly, but are no nonsense schools. They expect you to do the work. If you don't, it's reflected."

He earned his bachelor's degree in 1969 and began searching for a job. The market offered nothing to his liking, so he continued in the Industrial Management program and earned a master's degree in 1970.

"I still didn't quite know what I wanted to do, as far as what industry or company, or what functional area to focus on," he remembered. "Based on that, I accepted an offer with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). I figured I'd do that for a short time, maybe two or three years, and benefit from the experience of seeing a lot of different organizations while working in consulting."

That "short time" turned into a stellar 32-year career, as Anclien excelled in various parts of the company. After starting in the Atlanta office, he moved to head the company's Phoenix office. He returned to Atlanta to manage the Atlanta office, and later Accenture's South Region, which covered a quarter of the United States.

"If you graduated from Tech, you're willing to work hard, and you know how to deal with deadlines and pressure," he said. "The things that make you successful at Tech make you successful in the world of technology and management consulting."

Anclien retired last year as a senior partner responsible for the global utilities practice. He now runs a real estate development venture. During his entire career, Anclien has made it a point to contribute in various ways to Georgia Tech. He served as his company's primary liaison with the school, helping to recruit hundreds of Tech graduates.

"Georgia Tech prepares you well, not so much in the things that you study and can apply directly to management consulting, but it teaches you how to work with quantitative information," he said. "Tech also teaches you to work as part of a team and how to think, process data and develop innovative solutions. That's exactly what we were looking for at Accenture." Anclien also helped shape the Management of Technology program, specifically the consulting-related courses, in the College of Management. He has served on various committees and aided fund-raising efforts over the years.

He's currently a Platinum Life Member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund and participates on its Board of Trustees, as well the advisory boards for the College of Management and Georgia Tech Club. In addition, Anclien just completed a three-year term on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees.

"Bob is a great friend to Georgia Tech, and continues to be very loyal and generous," comments Jim Hall, Assistant Athletic Director and Vice President of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund. "In addition, his volunteer leadership and insight have been innumerable. He is a big reason why our $50 million fundraising stadia initiative will be a success."

By Simit Shah