Drew

Tell me about your career journey

During undergrad, I worked as a budget consultant for my university, assisting with the allotment of scholarships and grants for research projects. This role gave me extensive experience in budget forecasting and project funding. I was also very active in my school’s student-funded lacrosse team, creating various fundraising events and community involvement opportunities to help build our relationships with local businesses and charities, while also raising money for our program and players. I did this on top of my classwork, forcing me to focus on time management while expanding my skillset into numerous new areas.

Following graduation, I pursued my International MBA at the University of South Carolina, specializing in Supply Chain and Business Analytics. Here, I gained hands-on experience working with a top 25 global freight forwarder to help efficiently forecast global freight shipping prices. I also had the opportunity to work with smaller local businesses, assisting them in hurdling the recent COVID-19 pandemic. During my IMBA, I focused heavily on consulting opportunities and additional classes to gain a better understanding across various fields. During the program, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Paris and get more hands-on experience working with small/local businesses around the Paris area, focusing on the buyers’ thoughts and behavior.

Following graduation, I started with Capgemini Invent, beginning with the Institute in June of 2022.

What’s been your biggest achievement at Capgemini so far?

So far, my biggest achievement has been leading clients In the Know Sessions (ITK). These are presentations to the targeted end users and high-level stakeholders. Being my team’s leader for building and updating the end-user webpages, I was given the task of presenting it to over 200 stakeholders on a virtual forum. I really enjoy presenting and talking to people, so this was a great opportunity, but it still took a lot of practice since it was 100% virtual, which is far different from being in person, which I prefer.

Trying to implement a new platform for a large group of stakeholders comes with many challenges and often receives pushback as many tend to revert to the current (or outdated) ways of doing things. So, I took it upon myself to build a presentation to outline and provide a simplified walkthrough to help the end-users better understand both the why and the how of what our team was doing. I found it important to highlight the value and time-saving opportunities we can provide. Overall received we received great feedback that led to another presentation to an additional area of the business.

Our team has since expanded our project work to various other teams within the organization, slightly modifying our framework as needed to specifically meet the requirements of each team.

What’s the most exciting initiative you’ve worked on, and why?

One of my favorite experiences has been organizing the golf event for the Chicago Office over the past two years. This initiative began in 2023 when an executive expressed interest in hosting an activity for the Ryder Cup to promote our sponsorship. Collaborating with a dedicated team, we successfully organized a 9-hole golf scramble for Capgemini Chicago employees. The event took place just outside the city and featured Capgemini branded Ryder Cup merchandise, a catered meal, and an awards ceremony.

As a golf enthusiast, I found this opportunity incredibly rewarding. It allowed me to meet new colleagues and effectively raise awareness about our sponsorship.

What things do you outside your everyday job to stay engaged at Capgemini?

I thoroughly enjoy leading the Chicago GCC (Geo Connect Council). Initially, I volunteered to head one of the six pillars but was soon entrusted with the lead role for Chicago. This position offers the opportunity to engage in various areas such as new hire engagement, community involvement, social events, and even Bring Your Kid to Work Day, which we supported after it had not been hosted for a few years.

Being part of the GCC has significantly expanded my network, allowing me to meet many people throughout the office and Capgemini whom I might not have encountered if I had confined myself to just my project.

Over the past few years, we have developed new initiatives to encourage back-to-office attendance while also expanding the scope of our events. One of the most enjoyable aspects is collaborating with colleagues within Capgemini to help bring their event visions to life. A recent example is Culture Cooks, an in-office event that celebrates cultures around the world by offering food pairings through a provided lunch. I greatly enjoyed contributing to this event as a member of the GCC and look forward to even more new events in the future!