Woman of Achievement – Astrid Geens

Astrid Geens joined Capgemini in 2014 as a young professional. Currently, she is a Functional Analyst at Capgemini Belgium. Astrid has recently been awarded the ‘Woman of Achievement’ award for her outstanding achievements. Here’s Astrid sharing her thoughts on winning the award.

Congratulations Astrid on winning the ‘Woman of Achievement’ at the ‘Women for the Future’ award. Share us your experience on winning this award.
Astrid: I’m very happy and proud to win the Woman of Achievement award. Big thanks to everyone that voted!

How do you see this recognition shaping your career?
Astrid: It’s good to be recognized and that my work is being noticed. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone involved in this award.

Who has been your role model?
Astrid: I like to learn from all the people I’m working with, I’m lucky to be surrounded by talented people everywhere. If I must pick someone as a role model it would be Ada Lovelace, or Beyonce… but let’s stick with Ada. To be honest, when I first walked into the Lovelace meeting room at the Capgemini office named after her, I did not know who she was. Looking into her profile in my first days at the office 8 years ago, I was amazed and inspired by her creativity. Already in 1843, In a time where advanced mathematics was considered potentially damaging to a woman’s physical health, she wrote the first computer program!

What has been your biggest challenge in life? 
Astrid: I have to say it’s the renovation of my house in Mechelen, Belgium. We’re doing most of the work ourselves. I’m learning new things every day (or every weekend at least), from drawing electrical plans, installing a Velux window to playing in the sand with a concrete mixer. Although, challenging at times, it’s also fun and it gives great satisfaction to build something myself. A perfect combination next to my day-to-day job.

Thank you, Astrid for sharing your experiences. Continue to inspire more people. We wish you all the best!