Bill

Tell me about your role at Capgemini.

I am the service delivery manager for a large energy utilities company. I straddle the line between sales, operations, and delivery. I have to make sure that our products are delivered to the client per our contract and their expectations. It’s a balance between managing people and the expectations of the client along with our delivery mechanisms and budgetary requirements. And then we have to grow the account as well, so it’s a three-sided role that’s quite challenging.

Tell me about your career journey into this role.

I spent nine years in the Navy overseas, had a great time, and learned some interesting skills. I came out of the Navy in the late ’90s and worked as a very low-level technician in the oil field in South Louisiana. I realized that working for low pay in a high-risk situation was not what I wanted out of life. So I got my degree in management, and then I followed that up with a master’s degree. That allowed me to move into more of an executive leadership role. Since then, I’ve had a lot of experience in sales, which has allowed me to come into Capgemini and leverage not only my business experience, but also the sales side. Capgemini empowered me to find that balance.

Tell me about your involvement in Capgemini’s employee resource groups (ERGs). 

I’m actually part of two. I just joined the Armed Forces ERG and I’m excited about that as I do a lot of veteran outreach as part of my LinkedIn activities. I help veterans who are transitioning from the military figure out how they can translate their skills to the civilian world. Because a lot of times the military doesn’t teach that.

The other one is Mentoring Matters. I do a lot of speaking about servant leadership, active listening, empathy, and how to be empathetic with your audience. Mentoring Matters allows me to leverage that skillset. Their mission is to help folks who are early in their careers to visualize their career path. We teach them through panels and huddles that it’s okay to not know what you want to do, but if you do know what you want to do, here’s how to leverage that knowledge and get some training or experience.

How does Capgemini empower you to master your skills?

The training programs at Capgemini are phenomenal. I’ve taken part in probably a hundred hours of training so far – whether it’s speaking or management or empathetic listening, or some of the technologies we use. My personality lends itself to always learning, always building. So anything I can learn, any skill set I can put in my tool belt is valuable to me.

How is Capgemini helping you get the future you want?

I want to go to work and feel like I’m accomplishing something. I want to solve problems, and Capgemini has given me the opportunity to identify challenges either within the client relationship or within the delivery mechanisms and operational processes that we have in place. And I get to solve problems daily. So I leave work most days feeling very fulfilled – like I added value commensurate with my compensation, and that’s really all I’m looking for.