The group will focus on IT services, software and cloud infrastructure, and electronic commerce and digital media. Perkins, who has nearly 35 years of technology sector experience, was most recently national managing director of the American firm's technology industry practice.

Perkins became chief strategy officer for Grant Thornton in August 2009. Before that, he was VP of Washington operations for Northrop Grumman from April 2006 and had joined that organization in September 2004 after 10 years at Oracle where he developed and led Oracle's homeland security initiative and was general manager for the company's U.S. government business.