McKenzie Maddox

Tell us a little bit about your role at Capgemini.

I am part of the Capgemini Invent team. I joined Capgemini as a Senior Consultant and was recently promoted to Manager. I am on the Business Technology team, which rolls up into our Enterprise Transformation team. In Business Technology, we do a lot of different projects centered around transformation, usually digital transformations, for our clients.

What do you love about working at Capgemini Invent?

Being able to work on international client teams. I really enjoy the collaborative nature of getting to work with people from different cultures and areas. I think that’s something that really differentiates Capgemini for me compared to other roles I’ve had in the past.

Also, it’s a very collaborative environment and new ideas are always welcomed, regardless of your title or role. Everyone has a seat at the table and can propose ideas, and I think that’s a really differentiating capability.

Another thing that drew me to Capgemini was their focus in sustainability. It brings me pride to be a part of an organization that puts finding solutions to address climate change at the forefront of their agenda.

Those are probably the three things I’d say I enjoy most.

How does Capgemini empower you to get the future you want?

I think two ways. One, I’m always empowered to get certifications; I’m fully supported to build my tangible or hard skills. And two, I feel empowered to have the autonomy to build and shape my career the way I want to through different projects and hands-on learning.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

I’m a big runner and that’s what I like to do in my free time. I’ve run two marathons and four half marathons.

I have a lot of early morning calls because we work with our teams in Europe who are six or seven hours ahead, so my mornings are usually busy, and I can plan my workouts and runs for the afternoons.

When six o’clock rolls around, or usually more like five o’clock, I shut down my computer and I go work out. If I have stuff I need to finish up before my meeting, I’ll do that after my workout or early the next morning.

I always make sure I block off my calendar and block off time to make sure I’m really closing my laptop. And part of it, too, is why I come into the office. Because I view this time as my work focus time. So I really dive into my work, and then when I leave, it’s purely focused on personal things, like running, getting dinner, picking up dry cleaning – all the fun stuff.

What advice would you give to someone joining Capgemini?

I would say, from the moment you join, start networking – start scheduling coffee chats. I think this worked for me and I think I’ve seen it work for other consultants as well. Really try to immerse yourself into team meetings, meeting new people, leadership, etc. Learn what others do and how that aligns to what you do, and be prepared to talk through previous experiences and how your differentiators can enhance the team or project. And lastly, really think about your goals and raising your hand to say yes because the quicker you get embedded, the quicker you start to become the go-to person and build your personal brand at the company.