We’re entering a new digital era, characterized by an unprecedented and simultaneous rise of technology with sustainability imperatives – data is everywhere, rewriting all the rules, and all industries are being disrupted.
The world market is in a volatile state with rising energy prices, geopolitical instabilities, inflation and economic uncertainty. Making robust connections with clients and ensuring your employees are upskilled is an important foundation for a future in uncertain times.
By harnessing and bringing together the strands of strategy and transformation, design, tech, data and scientific capabilities – rather than seeing them as fragmented – Capgemini Invent is able to offer a powerhouse of innovation and transformation for businesses that are looking to the future, reinventing themselves to create new products and services for tomorrow’s world.
“Invent is an infinite player, we are continuously reinventing ourselves, to be the best partner we can be for our clients,” says Ann Hellenius, Managing Director of Capgemini Invent in Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
This fluid and multidisciplinary approach has quietly grown, building on a solid foundation that has allowed it to have an incredible expansion in the past two years as companies look for new ways to redefine and enhance their relationships with clients and consumers alike.
“This was already a great, profitable company when I joined, but I saw the potential of creating a true growth story together with the team,” says Hellenius.
“We have actually doubled our size within the last two years, which I think is really an achievement in this market. And with the recent launch of Capgemini Invent in Denmark, we are now in an even better position to help our clients accelerate their sustainable transformation journeys.”
Put people first – and flourish
Although Capgemini Invent offers science-based tech and data solutions, Hellenius amplifies that the human touch is at the heart of the firm. “We are a people business and, when we put the people first, we flourish,” she says.
Being part of a group with over 340,000 strategic and technological experts across more than 50 countries, every voice and story is important and valued. Blending different personalities and perspectives is key to creating value for both clients and society.
“We have created a culture that really attracts top talent,” explains Hellenius. And Capgemini Invent has done it by making the company undoubtedly people-centric.
“It’s a combination of a very strong performance culture, but also a very warm and inclusive culture. And for me, that is how a modern company works.
“The cornerstones are focusing on being diverse and inclusive. We are passionate about increasing the gender balance.”
Hellenius has a personal commitment to making sure there is more diverse gender representation in the workplace. “When I arrived, the number of vice presidents who were female was too low. Within two years we have doubled the rate of female vice presidents.”
Ensuring a positive workplace culture is a priority for Capgemini Invent, as the benefits to both clients and teams are clear.
“This values-based culture, driven by being able to be authentic, is important, as it promotes self-leadership and empowerment. We also have a very strong focus on our own learnability, always being curious and eager to learn more – which, when combined, leads to innovation.”
Capgemini Invent’s growth is beneficial for both employees and clients, says Hellenius.
“It increases our collective intelligence and opens new career possibilities and ways for our employees to grow,” she adds. “At the same time, we become an even better partner to our clients as we stay on top of the changes in the market and in consumer behavior, technology evolvement and how to deliver on sustainability ambitions.”
Master short- and long-term play
There is no doubt that Capgemini Invent has a unique offering due to its combination of strategic transformational skills and deep technological knowledge. Being part of the Capgemini Group sets it apart from the competition, Hellenius emphasizes.
“Capgemini Invent is at the forefront when it comes to innovation, together with the entire Capgemini Group. We are a family of aligned entrepreneurs with different skill sets,” explains Hellenius. And with deep knowledge comes the ability to advise in a more nuanced and individual way.
As businesses grow, the temptation to take on lots of new clients and expand the areas covered is strong. But Hellenius believes being focused is more important than ever in today’s market, as is being able to offer industry-specific insight.
“We don’t want to be the best in all industries,” she says. “Today we have selected the following industries that we focus on in Sweden, Finland and Denmark: banking and insurance; automotive and manufacturing; life science; public; retail; energy and utilities; and Telco, where we should have the opportunity to really help our clients. We have strong industry competences and subject matter experts within all our offerings.”
Knowing their clients well means they can grow the potential of a true partnership.
“One thing that makes us quite unique is that we are strong on the innovation side together and finding new ways of acting within our partnerships,” explains Hellenius.
“You can never just rely on what you have done previously. You always need to be on your toes to find new ways of collaborating for the benefit of clients. And that is something we are working really hard on.”
As well as building long-lasting relationships, Hellenius and her team also have the same approach to Capgemini partners.
“We want to be the best partner we can be for our clients, and we have the same attitude when it comes to partner companies. We are building long-lasting relationships based on trust, on win–win situations. If you have that long-term perspective and a client-focused approach, then you create the foundation for long-term success.”
Sustainability at the heart of the business
By growing Capgemini Invent, Hellenius highlights the importance of making a larger impact for its clients and, at the same time, a positive contribution to society.
Sustainability is seen as a fundamental business driver and enabler and sits at the heart of everything Capgemini Invent does. The company truly believes innovative technology is key to limiting the environmental and social impact of climate change.
Key to achieving this is education and Capgemini Invent have made this a priority in order to better help its clients.
“Sustainability is a key skill set when we recruit, but it’s not just about bringing in new experts; we upskill and re-skill our entire organization,” notes Hellenius.
“We have launched a very ambitious training program, called Up Green, and have the attitude that tech for sustainability is something we need to constantly develop. A substantial amount of our business is within the sustainability area and we need to constantly educate ourselves.”
So important is the upskilling in sustainability that it’s mandatory for everyone – and mandatory for promotion.
With a strong ambition to accelerate the sustainability agenda and make an impact on society, Capgemini Invent has developed a strong sustainability portfolio, where sustainability is integrated in all its offerings.
“The fact that we truly understand technology, together with the fact that we truly understand sustainability, helps us see how that impacts our clients’ businesses,” Hellenius affirms. “We are also able to combine competencies within strategy and data analytics in the field of sustainability and this is why we are seeing such strong results now.”
