Where did you hear about Accenture and what’s your current role?
I am a Managing Director here at Accenture and I have been here 13 years working on large scale technology transformation programmes across a number of retail banking clients. One of the important roles I have alongside my client work at Accenture is the Operations lead for the Analyst Consulting Group – the part of our organisation where our Consulting graduates, interns and apprentices join into.
I actually joined Accenture myself through the ACG back in 2010 – having studied geography at University of Bristol. I wasn’t really sure about what I wanted to do after university, but I knew that I wanted to go into an organisation that had a breadth of capabilities and industries and was impressed with Accenture at the careers fair.
What attracted you to Accenture?
Firstly, the variety of work – we work across financial services, the health and public sector, products industry, communications and technology and joining as a grad there are vast opportunities for you to learn. We work with such a wide range of organisations, working with them to solve some of their most complex problems.
Secondly, and linked to this, is the element of always solving real world problems; Accenture are at the heart of change, and we work to solve real world problems. One of the exciting things about being a consultant at Accenture is that can see the tangible impact of the work that you do.
Lastly, the global footprint of our organisation - we operate in over 120 countries and we are always growing. I have been really fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in various locations with Accenture, including the UK, in the US and Hong Kong. The opportunity to work in different Accenture offices has given me a real understanding of our global network, but also the cultural learning I got through being in the firm.
How did you build your own personal brand within Accenture?
I grew up through my career being trusted to deliver complex programmes. The type of work that I was doing was very different, across different technologies, and helped develop a number of cross-functional skills I still use today.
That was my brand for many years until I found my interest in cloud transformation and how cloud technology can enable business innovation. When I was able to specialise and think about where I wanted to build a practice, my brand then switched slightly, which was still delivery but in a specific area and building my industry expertise and knowledge.
What advice would you give to someone who is not from a tech background?
I had an interest in technology when applying for Accenture and how applying technology solutions to everyday life could help solve business needs. That was what was really what was important and that’s what we look for in each of you. You don’t necessarily have to be a ‘techie’ but have a curiosity or passion for learning around technology and how that can help organisations.
Being in Accenture has helped me to learn and develop skill sets in that space. We invest hours in training and learning and development to give opportunities across all of those industry sectors. When you first join Accenture in the ACG, you will have the opportunity to meet with all the different areas and hear from people who are experts in their field and find out how they developed their brand at Accenture.
With so many analysts coming in every year, how can they stand out from the rest?
I think being yourself! We’re a consultancy business which means we are a people business and clients work with us for our knowledge and expertise. Working at Accenture means you will work as
part of a team, and everyone has different skills, different backgrounds and different experience. Being yourself is knowing what skills you can bring and how you can understand the client’s needs and business needs.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back 13 years when you first started?
Don’t be afraid to take risks!
Be curious – there is so much to learn and so many people to learn from within the firm, so don’t be afraid to ask for help and take each opportunity that comes to you!