Ana Maria

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. I attended a British school in Colombia, which is where I learned to speak English. However, when I moved to the United States at 17 years old, I struggled with my communication skills because, even though I had spent 14 years of my life learning English, I had learned the “proper” way of speaking British English, and on top of that it was the first time I was made aware of my strong Colombian accent; these two things made it hard for people to understand me. I practically had to re-learn everything, including getting used to the American “slang” which was completely new to me.

I went to college for a degree in economics and a minor in international business. In the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college, I got a part-time job in the financial sector doing mainly customer service, accounting, and data entry. After I graduated in 2009, the company offered me a full-time job as a Foreign Currency Exchange Wholesale Trader, which was extremely exciting. I stayed in that company until I decided to leave in 2013.

Through all those years, I learned a lot about the banking industry. It was related to my degree and I was very happy with what I was doing, and with the fact that I had job security. I was managing millions of dollars on a weekly basis, buying foreign currency from global and national vendors and selling it to financial institutions in the US; this gave me the opportunity to talk to people across the globe and establish trusting relationships, as well as the confidence to excel in the business and professional world in the United States.

However, after maybe three years of doing the same thing, it became too routine for me. I realized I wasn’t learning much anymore and my opportunities for growth were limited. I am the type of person who wants new challenges and to be constantly learning.

I have this mentality of: your parents sacrificed everything by leaving your home country and moving to the US, so you need to do something with this opportunity. And so, I felt there was something better out there [for me]. After four years of being a full-time employee, I took a terrifying leap and left my secure job to become a full-time student again.

In 2013, I was accepted into the Masters in Global Affairs program at NYU and moved to NYC.

It was a two-year master’s program in which I learned a lot about the private sector, company strategy, and understanding market forces. I was introduced to the world of consulting, and I liked it. The fact that you can experience different industries – something new every time – was something that strongly attracted me.

After graduating from NYU, I came across Capgemini at a career fair. I was hesitant at first because it was a technology company and I had zero technology background. But the recruiters at the booth were so approachable and highlighted the many possibilities I could have at the company with my background; I was invited to an info session and after that I decided I wanted to give it a try. I applied for a consulting position in 2015 and here we are today.

What an incredible journey from banking to consulting. Tell us about your journey at Capgemini.

I started at Capgemini in 2016 as a Business Analyst in CSD. I was lucky because, at that time, our onboarding was an eight-week program where we were sent to different Capgemini offices to get training and hands-on experience. One of the weeks was called “CSD Externship” which gave me the opportunity to integrate into a client account and shadow other business analysts.

The first two weeks I was in Atlanta, but the following three weeks I was sent to Capgemini’s office in Mumbai! It was an amazing experience. It was my first time in India, and the hospitality was amazing. I was able to fully immerse myself into the Indian culture, visiting the Taj Mahal, experiencing the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, and the food. The food was the most challenging part for me, since I have a very low tolerance for spicy food! Aside from that, I was also able to learn from my colleagues and was better equipped to do my job back in the States.

My first Capgemini manager was great – he was very supportive and taught me everything I needed to know to be successful as a business analyst. Furthermore, the client I worked with really liked the quality of my work and my work ethic. They knew I was able to deliver, and my teammates enjoyed working with me. This gave me more confidence; it was a reassurance that despite my lack of background in technology, I must be doing something right, and I made the right move for my career.

By building relationships with clients and networking with my peers, I was able to always find a project, making my engagement transitions seamless and furthering my professional career.

It’s what led me to my current role as an Engagement Manager.

Client-facing roles can be a challenge in terms of staying connected with those outside your project. How do you stay engaged with Capgemini?

Making myself visible, not only to clients but internally, is important. When I found out about HOLA, the Hispanic Employee Resource Group, I jumped at the chance to join as an NYC member. I love being able to support my Latinx/Hispanic community. Eventually, I became a National Lead for the HOLA ERG, and after a few years in that role I transitioned to being an Advisor – helping guide the next group of ERG leaders.

I was very active with HOLA since I was based in New York; I focused a lot on planning local events for Capgemini members in the NYC area, as well as managing partnerships with organizations focused on supporting and developing Latinos in technology. ERGs have always been a big part of my career at Capgemini. It allowed me to give back to my Capgemini community, but also meet and network with other employees outside of my practice and project.

I also was nominated to be part of the inaugural cohort of Leadership PACT, a program dedicated to providing leadership development to high-performing women with a focus on mindfulness, empathy and compassion. It was my first opportunity to see so many women in leadership roles outside of my own practice; it was priceless to have a space to talk about our career development, professional challenges, and how to better ourselves and advocate for ourselves. The latter was key for me because I was raised in a culture in which standing out and speaking about our accomplishments isn’t the norm or encouraged – but this program helped me take on a new mindset that it’s okay to speak about my own accomplishments and highlight the good work I’ve done. I stopped worrying about showcasing my skills and accomplishments.

Let’s put what you learned into action. What are some of your proudest accomplishments?

I am PMP certified. I received the Delivery Led Sales Star Award last year and was able to meet Jim Bailey, Bryan Ireton, and other executive leadership in Mexico earlier this year. I transitioned from banking to IT consulting for a French-owned company with English as my second language. But my proudest accomplishment is that I was able to grow my family and become a mother to three beautiful kids. Capgemini gave me the opportunity to grow in both aspects, personally and professionally, without sacrificing one or the other.

Each day is different in consulting and every day is exciting. This job and other internal opportunities helped me discover who I am as an employee of Capgemini, but most importantly as a working professional in the United States. I am now confident I can build strong relationships, grow the business, and understand what is needed to maintain those connections. I have learned so much in my eight years at Capgemini. I love the fact that I was able to integrate my professional life with my personal life (and grow both at the same time), and I am glad to have found a place where I have the independence and authority to get the future I want while doing innovative, challenging, and fun things all the time.