Thanuja

My usual work day   My work day starts at 5 am IST and, like any other working woman, I usually have a very busy schedule in the morning. The fact that I support clients from the Australian region, whose day starts several hours before I reach work, makes my morning more action-packed.

My usual work day

My work day starts at 5 am IST and, like any other working woman, I usually have a very busy schedule in the morning. The fact that I support clients from the Australian region, whose day starts several hours before I reach work, makes my morning more action-packed. Thanks to technology, I am able to attend calls during the early morning hours while I get ready to leave for work. During my travel to work, I read my emails and make a list of tasks that I plan to accomplish during the day. Sometimes, my plan remains a plan to be carried over to the next day since newer challenges await me at the office. Between responding to my high-priority emails and getting a brief from my direct reports about any events I should be aware of, I begin to get into the thick of things. A review meeting with an existing client, a presentation to a prospective client on India capabilities, issues/concerns of the managers or team members and involvement in sales pursuits often fill the agenda for the rest of the day. A call from one of my lunch buddies reminds me about lunch time, allowing me to step out of my work area and spend some casual time with my colleagues over lunch. The time after lunch provides me with an opportunity to revisit my planned tasks and work on completing several of them before I present myself at different meetings scheduled during the course of the afternoon.

My life at Capgemini

Capgemini is what it is today because of its people and open work culture. Another important aspect of Capgemini is that women are encouraged to take up leadership roles. This is the reason why Capgemini has so many women in senior management positions. I take pride in the relationships I have been able to build over the years with my colleagues globally and in India. We have our own share of arguments and disagreements, but what keeps us going is the fact that we work with the best interests of the client and the company in mind.

Places I have been

I have been to the UK several times for meeting clients as part of my delivery role and also for supporting sales pursuits. Similarly, I have also traveled to Sweden and Finland—Sweden is one of my favorite places.

My recent trips have more or less been to Australia, mainly Sydney and Melbourne. I hope to travel to other cities as we grow our business in Australia. In addition to this, I have also lived and worked in the US.

Projects I’m proud of

Client: One of the largest food manufacturers
This was the first SAP project for Cagemini Australia and the first AM project in the Australian region. I was involved in this project right from the RFP stage, and winning this project meant a great deal for me and my team. This will always be a special project for me.

Client: One of the largest entertainment giants
This project is unique in its own way as the same team supports two entirely different client teams and different businesses. There were challenges; however, we have been able to overcome them. When the client is happy, you have the satisfaction of a job well done, and there is the motivation to do better.

Client: A Nordic firm
In 2009, there was a bid that I had worked on for a Nordic client. Personally, my biggest achievement was the great feedback the client gave me after the India visit. That was my proudest moment at Capgemini.

My personal life

My personal life revolves around my family. I love to spend time with them. I enjoy going on family vacations to different places within and outside India. My family has several extraordinary tricks up their sleeve to eliminate my stress.