
Capgemini
The Company
Capgemini is one of the world’s largest consulting, technology and outsourcing companies with 180,000 employees in over 40 countries. Working with such a large, international company allowed me to see all types of people from extremely diverse backgrounds come together to get amazing things done.
The Role
I was hired to Capgemini straight out of college as a staff consultant. They sent me to Mumbai and Bangalore, India to be trained by some of the finest technical minds there. When I returned to the US I was assigned to an Energy and Utilities client based in Dallas. I worked at several of their sites and across multiple departments implementing an enterprise-level document management system.
%
Innovative Savings
Million Dollars Saved
Million Records Migrated
Unique Countries
Appreciating Diversity
Diverse Teams Perform Better
I learned first-hand that diverse teams perform better. Working with a team on the of the side of the world, we were able to outperform teams based solely in Dallas.
Exploring Enhances Understanding
Seeing the other side of the world helped me to really understand the teams I was able to work with. I knew where they went to lunch together, what they did after work for fun, and what their family life was like.
- Leading Multi-National Teams 40%
- Coding and Configuring 85%
- Discovering/Writing Requirements & Specs 70%
- Solution Design 75%
My Job Was Awesome
During my time at Capgemini, I worked on several different projects. On each project I was in a slightly different role. I would spend quite a bit of time with the client, understanding how they do their job and how I could bring value to them. I’d write what I learned up in technical requirements then worked alongside international teams to design and build a solution that would save them money while improving their efficiency and compliance.
Learn More About Me
On multiple occasions, I saw Axel present to large and small groups, giving trainings on various teaching/communication skills. I remember one presentation in particular that was given to a group of about 14 people regarding effective listening -- not just hearing what somebody is saying, but acting as a sounding board and confirming what they are saying to fully understand what they are actually meaning to get across. This training has stuck with me for years and I reflect on it often.
Axel possesses extremely good innovative acumen. Time and again he has come up with innovative solution to address problems. For example, he applied innovative techniques to implement scanning solution requirements, that resulted in better visibility and increased efficiency in business operations.
In the years we worked together you were ALWAYS calm. There were times I knew you were under pressure but you never appeared flustered or upset or stressed. You managed yourself so professionally and still expressed and showed greater concern for those around you.

Our scout troop runs a fund raiser where we post flags in neighbors' yards on national holidays. When Axel inherited this project as a new scoutmaster, he saw about a dozen ways it could be done better, and set about implementing each of them. Of course he immediately employed current technology solutions to streamline both the order-taking and logistical processes, but he was just as capable on the low-tech side, conceiving of better ways to come at the entire project conceptually. The fund-raiser never ran better than when Axel was at the helm.
I've always been passionate about innovation. Never satisfied with the status quo, I'm great at finding cheaper, better, faster ways to do all sorts of things. If you feel like this is you, I’d love to work with you. Say hello@axelhawker.com