Accenture Belgium & Luxembourg

Accenture is a leading global professional services company

Company type

Large company


Sector

Consulting


Location

Dublin

News (6)

  • Challenge

    “There are many ways to unleash your creativity at Accenture” By Liz Morrison

    Sam is big-hearted about everything he does. From sharing his Murex expertise with people around the world to bringing joy into the lives of deprived children or helping excluded job seekers to reskill for IT jobs. Meet Sam Van Broeck, Business & Integration Architect Manager at Accenture Belgium & Luxembourg ‘The sea has always played an important part in my life. My father was a sailor for 25 years on long voyages around the world in container ships. The sea air has also been a life saver for me as an asthma sufferer and it’s where I discovered my passion for windsurfing as a teenager. There is no air pollution out on the waves! As my love of the sport grew, so did my ability. I became Junior Belgian Champion and Club Champion. In my last year of secondary school, I was approached by the owners of Aerotech Sails to join their windsurfing team and I became a freestyler, which was great fun.’ ‘When the time came to start university, I became self-employed to support my studies and continued windsurfing as a hobby. I began building websites and programming optimizations for companies just as they were just starting to discover the digital world. Most companies back then still did everything on paper. For example, I wrote a program to automate inventory for an import/export company. It was a big thing at the time.’ ‘I chose to study at Howest in Bruges because it was the first school in Belgium to offer training in multimedia, coding and web design. I loved the combination of design and coding. My end goal was to become a game designer (on the graphics side). In the end, my skills were sharper in programming and when it came to my final year specialization, I opted for that. It was a good choice. I graduated with 96%.’ ‘I went on to win several innovation awards as a student. One of them was Microsoft’s Imagine Cup. Together with a small team of other students, I participated in the Artificial Intelligence programming section and we won the regional, Belgian and European prize! When it came to the continent prize, we came second. That night, we cried.’ ‘Then in my final year, I was invited to join a new project within Howest around program performance testing. We successfully created a testing program just on a laptop. This won us a trip to Seattle where we met leaders at Microsoft, MySQL, IBM… it was another world! I’m proud to say the program we helped to start up is still running at Howest and today’s students are still supporting companies with testing.’ ‘It was during my final year at Howest that Accenture called to offer me a job working on a biometrics project. This intrigued me, so I thought, why not give it a try and see where we end up. I was curious to see how a big firm handled business so I could “watch and learn” and take best practices back to my own company. Well, that was the plan... After two years of working in parallel, I stopped my self-employed activities and decided to go forward with Accenture, a decision I don’t regret. If I had to start a company again from scratch it would have the same core values as Accenture: Fairness, equality, “the box doesn’t exist”, being ethical and secure.’  ‘The funny thing is, that biometrics project didn’t get off the ground immediately! Rather, I was invited to join another project at a bank, where a team urgently needed help. Banking and capital markets were a total mystery to me, but I knew that the technology used by Accenture on the project was new, so let’s give it a try! In the end, it was an amazing experience. Hard work, long days, and very international. It also changed me personally. I was accustomed to working alone and it got me into another spirit, working as a team.’ ‘I like to know why I’m doing something. I need to see the complete picture. Therefore, I steadily took up more and more front and back office responsibilities in Murex. When system testing takes place before going live, I stay until the end. I feel responsible if things go wrong and I want to be there when something needs fixing. Having a very specific expertise and taking pride in your work is not always easy!’ ‘Today, I’m a builder of virtual bridges between all the apps used for making and losing money. I’m part of Accenture’s Technology Financial Services - Capital Markets team where I have become an expert in trading platform integration and migration projects, with a specific focus on Murex. As such, I support projects in multiple countries, and I’ve worked in many different locations and cultures. Connecting with people around the world is what I love most about my job.’ "We achieved a 50/50 male/female balance, which makes me very proud!" ‘After seven years working on projects for our clients, often abroad, I’ve decided to find a new rhythm. As a Murex expert, I’m still called in to validate proposals or advise our clients, but I now have more time to focus on other projects. Doing less but doing it better. If you know what you want to do, there are many ways to unleash your creativity at Accenture.’ ‘Leading the Internships Program is one of them. Each year, we offer final year Bachelor and Master students the opportunity to experience an outstanding 12-15 weeks working on real client cases in Belgium but also in Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Mauritius and India. More than 300 students have already participated in this program. And 25 out of the 40 interns last year joined Accenture. We achieved a 50/50 male/female balance, which makes me very proud!’ "When I saw those children at Koraal, I just had to do something" ‘Another passion of mine is outside Accenture. I first discovered Koraal through my sister, a childcare specialist. This amazing charity cares for children aged 0 to 12 years who can no longer live with their parents due to family problems. The main goal of Koraal is to reunite these families by providing support and guidance to parents. Meanwhile, it offers children a safe environment in which to live until they can return home. My sister’s dedication to these children, giving them the opportunity to be part of society and enjoy things that most children take for granted such as learning to swim, visiting a playground, was inspiring.’ ‘When I saw those children at Koraal, I just had to do something. Knowing Accenture is active in supporting employees’ charitable work, I contacted the Corporate Citizenship team and in 2018, I applied for a grant via Accenture’s Giving Through You initiative. I was delighted to receive a grant, which enabled the children to participate in a summer camp of their choice, from pony riding to a science camp. These children deserve a better chance and we need to invest in their future.’ ‘While the local authority provides basic funding to Koraal, there is no budget for any extras, like school materials, clothing or rucksacks. Which is where my colleagues make a difference. For the last two years, they have donated gifts to Koraal via our annual St. Nicholas event plus school materials, toys and clothing. The kids of one colleague even insisted on individually wrapping all the things they donated. Every child likes to receive a surprise gift, right? It is so heartwarming to see this.’ ‘Another Corporate Citizenship project I’ve become involved in is BeCode. The aim of BeCode is to reskill people excluded from the labor market and help them to find decent jobs in IT. They range from people who have never studied, students whose studies don’t allow them to get a job, people facing difficulties because of their ethic or cultural background, and women who want to return to work after a career break. Accenture organizes workshops to help job applicants and we have already welcomed seven eCode interns.’ ‘Our ambition is to hire 25 people from this untapped talent pool in the future. I hope we succeed, because like all my projects, this is very close to my heart.’ Sam Van Broeck Studied: Multimedia & Communication Technology Started working at Accenture: 2008 Relationship status: Married Loves: BBQ, windsurfing… Gets annoyed by: Sneezing when I have a cold Favorite food & drink: BBQ, smoked chicken with grilled corn. My favorite drink depends on the mood, location, timing and people I’m with. It ranges from water with cucumber to a decent Trappist and a proper single malt On my nightstand: Children’s toys Listens to: Almost everything but regularly Elvis, Charlie Parker, Chopin and Bart Peeters Would like to sit next to in the plane: Jason Polakow! No doubt at all. Unless there is no wind on the planet that day, then I would go for Bear Grylls, my favorite outdoors teacher Life-changing event(s): Having kids The best lesson life has taught me: The end is never near, keep going with a smile What I learned last week: Rotterdam doesn’t have good Wi-Fi connection to watch soccer Most beautiful place on earth: Hawaii Hobbies/passions: Family, windsurfing, BBQ, music and construction work What nobody knows about me: I was head judge at the World Cup freestyle windsurfing in Porto Pollo, Sardinia Life motto: There is nothing a good BBQ can’t fix

  • Company life

    What qualities make a great Agile Coach? Meet Juliana! By Liz Morrison

    The seeds of change were planted early in Juliana’s life, starting with a move from Colombia to Belgium aged 13. Today, her job is all about helping business teams to master continuous change by applying the latest Agile practices. Juliana Escudero Serna (1987) Studied: Applied Economics and Strategy & Innovation  Started working at Accenture: 2017 Accenture is: Connecting people & ideas Loves: My two dogs Gets annoyed by: Gender discrimination in the workplace Favorite food: Tropical fruits On my nightstand: Alarm clock, lamp and (travel) books ? Listens to: World music, especially Latin American and African music because I love to dance Would like to sit next to in the plane: My grandmother, the person I admire the most and who raised me  Life-changing event(s): Moving to Belgium from Colombia at the age of 13. It is one of the most difficult but most enriching experiences of my life The best lesson life has taught me: Perseverance, hard work and honesty are the keys to success Most beautiful place on earth: My birthplace, Santa Fe de Antioquia, a colonial village near Medellin in Colombia Hobbies/passions: My biggest passion is traveling, discovering new cultures and learning foreign languages. I spent most of my free time planning new trips and doing research about places to visit and extraordinary activities to do Life motto: Persist, never take NO for an answer! 

  • Company life

    What matters the most it is that we all move forward together By Liz Morrison

    Floriane helps organizations to build cyber resilience and grow confidently. Continuous growth is also essential for her, both as a Cybersecurity professional and as someone who believes in empowering herself and others to live life to the full. Meet Floriane Razafindranaly-de Lapparent, Security Consultant at Accenture Belgium & Luxembourg ‘Cybersecurity is not only a cool profession; it’s also vitally important for our future. With business ecosystems becoming more and more intertwined and IT systems increasingly shared, the challenges are growing. Helping organizations to build cyber resilience is at the heart of what I do each day. My specific focus is on Identity & Access Management and Security Governance for the financial services industry. This encompasses functional aspects (identifying and assessing risk and vulnerabilities…) as well as technical aspects (defining Security Architecture and implementing security solutions…). I’m lucky to be able to work across both domains and on a wide variety of projects because Cybersecurity challenges are unique each time.’ Growing women leaders in technology ‘I joined Accenture after several years of working in the banking industry and IT consulting. I was attracted by the opportunities Accenture offers me to use both my practical and technical experience. What decided me was that Accenture continuously looks for improvement, is always focused on the future, and not afraid of change. Since I joined, I have seen a real investment in the human dimension of our company, as a strategic priority linked to business success. One of our mottos is “Be yourself, make a difference”. And this is true in our working environment: we are accepted for who we are and encouraged to build on our strengths to make a difference to ourselves and our clients. There is a strong focus on growing women leaders and attracting more women to technology careers. I’m also involved in the WIDE (Women in Digital Empowerment) community in Luxembourg that is helping to increase women’s presence in IT and develop their technical skills.’  ‘What I love the most about my job is the relationship I have with my clients and colleagues. They all help me to grow, both as an Accenture employee and a human being. I make a point of questioning and developing myself in the right way, such as finding more self-confidence and inner peace (a long apprenticeship!), improving my technical and soft skills. Each day I’m ready to learn more: learn to fail, learn to succeed, learn to improve. I believe we all learn and develop ourselves constantly, which is why life is a beautiful experience. Integrity, honesty, humility, authenticity and loyalty are my watchwords. I am guided in this by one of my favorite books, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, the Mexican author of Toltec spiritualist texts.  I’m especially proud of having been already trusted by Accenture to shape a project from scratch for a client. That’s not what most people would expect from a consultant, but because I have a strong network in Luxembourg and I’m already acknowledged by clients for my security expertise, I was able to go to the market and contribute to business development, which is a great feeling!’  Stronger together ‘I believe in empowering the people I work with because together we are stronger. From my point of view, being a leader is not how you inspire people, it is how you empower people and create trust and loyalty. We are all unique, all complementary in very different ways. So more than to inspire people, I want to give them hope and empowerment, because in the end, what matters the most it is that we all move forward together.’ We are all grown-up children ‘Outside work, I love to volunteer especially with children in hospital. They have so much wisdom and are authentic. They are not afraid to tell the truth and I appreciate that. It helps me to be humble and to never forget that we are all grown-up children! My other passion is beer and I have my own cellar, stocked with plenty of Belgian specialty beers! Right now, I’m looking for a microbrewery training so that I can learn how to make my favorite drink.’ Floriane Razafindranaly-de Lapparent (1990) Studied: International Business Management with specialization in IT Management Started working at Accenture: 2017 Accenture is: Not afraid of change Loves: Laughing and making jokes. It’s good for your health and life is too short not to laugh and be happy  Gets annoyed by: Human injustice and how we mistreat nature  Favorite food: Dorum Kebab and pollo a la milanese On my nightstand: The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, The Art of the War by Sun Tzu (I am a military daughter and love military strategy), The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz  Listens to: Dub, classical music, reggae, trip hop, electro Would like to sit next to in the plane: The Dalai Lama Life-changing event(s): My grandfather’s death The best lesson life has taught me: Always keep hope and faith, be resilient. Forgiveness (forgive yourself and others to liberate yourself and find peace) Most beautiful place on earth: Finistère, Bretagne. I am very proud to be ‘Bretonne’. We are part of nature and being in nature always reminds me of the essence of life Hobbies/passions: Meditation, chilling, enjoying silence and living in the moment, hiking, surfing, volunteering What nobody knows about me: I have numerical and grapheme synaesthesia Life motto: ‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall’ –Confucius 

  • Challenge

    “I’m a strong believer in standing up for what you believe in” By Elizabeth Morrison

    Born and raised in Brussels, of Moroccan origins, Sarah Bouzzaouit joined Accenture in 2016 where she is a Business & Integration Architecture Team Lead Anyone who knows me, will know that I’m not one to shy away from a fight. I’m not talking about a real physical fight, although I’ve been boxing for many years! I’m a strong believer in standing up for what you believe in, even if you feel everyone else is against you. As a kid, I stood up for anyone I felt was being unfairly treated. It’s my nature, so my childhood dream was to become a lawyer. In the end, learning by heart wasn’t my thing. My love for math and science took me in another direction and I chose to study Business Engineering at Solvay Business School. I’ve always known I was strong-willed. But looking back at my career so far makes me realize how driven I really am. We all face setbacks from time to time, but it’s how we come out of those setbacks that defines who we are. I’ve learned to be even more confident at Accenture and to never apologize for who I am and what I stand for. “There are many things to be optimistic about the future” We’re constantly exposed to new technologies, strategies and ways of working. It’s the perfect environment for anyone who thirsts for knowledge. Of course, the people and the work we do on a daily basis also played a major role in my choice. I’m surrounded by extremely talented, diverse and outspoken colleagues who are just as driven as me. We’re encouraged to challenge the status-quo. This is in the Accenture DNA. Every idea, however small, can blossom into something wonderful with tremendous impact. Every project is authentic. No solution is the same. We really try to create tailor-made solutions for our clients, because they are not the same. We help them to shape their strategy and define where they want to go, and we support them through all the changes required to get there. I get the most pleasure from being at the epicenter of those changes. The magic happens outside of your comfort zone. But we definitely need more female superheroes! In the technology world, the stereotypical idea that you have to be a man to be successful still lingers. So I’ve launched personal development programs for young analysts at Accenture, especially female analysts. I would love to share an Ethiopian meal with some delicious injera around a big table with inspiring advocates of equality such as Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. I was lucky to spend some months in South Africa a few years back, and the history of that place has never left me. We may have witnessed tremendous changes in recent decades in terms of inclusion & diversity, but sadly we cannot say that we have reached complete equality all over the world. I believe that we can make the world a better place. It’s our responsibility. We need to take matters into our own hands and basically be the change we want to see happening. A good example is this pandemic, which has been one of the greatest challenges I’ve faced so far. Some of us have lost loved ones, others have lost their jobs or their business. It has been an incredibly difficult period for everyone. However, it has also showed us how resilient and agile we are and how quickly we can adapt to a new, although unwelcome, situation. I hope the world will drastically change for the better in the coming decades and evolve into something completely different. I enjoy working for a company that embraces change, and together with our clients, tries to turn it into something positive. It’s not always plain sailing, but staying focused, keeping the target in sight, makes it easier. You only truly grasp the value of your loved ones once they are gone. Being at home, surrounded by family and friends is essential for my wellbeing. I try to cherish every moment.

  • Challenge

    “The future is unwritten. We have the power to write it, every day” By Liz Morrison

    Born in Durban, on the east coast of South Africa, Talisha is no stranger to jumping into the unknown, having also lived in Lesotho, South Korea, England, and Wales before moving to Brussels and joining Accenture in 2020, where she is Sustainability & Innovation Lead in the Technology practice. I try make happiness an everyday event. Those who know me would probably describe me as fun, fearless, decisive, and sometimes too honest. The first two qualities might explain why as a child, I wanted to be a tight rope walker and join the circus, although the idea of being a brain surgeon also sounded fun to me. When I started university, I wanted to be a National Geographic writer. My first degree had two majors, Environmental & Geographical Science and Media & Writing. I graduated just before the 2009 global economic recession, and getting a job was tough so I took some gap years to travel and explore our world. I then returned to academia to do a postgraduate diploma in Management Information Systems, and this introduced me to the world of technology. Strangely enough, today I get to combine both passions – for our incredible Planet Earth and technology innovation – in my current role. I was working at a blockchain startup in Cape Town when Accenture BeLux approached me. Although I loved my hometown and job, I knew Accenture could offer me a wider variety of opportunities to grow and learn. So, I took the plunge and moved to Brussels to start a new career journey and I have not been disappointed. I arrived in Brussels amidst the pandemic. This meant that my belongings could not cross the border and all the shops were closed. I had to rely on the kindness of strangers who loaned me everything, from my bed and towels, to pots and plates. I immediately felt at home because of their warmth and generosity. This made me stronger and helped me to focus on things that really mattered when everything else was out of control. It taught me that you can handle just about any change if you have a positive mindset.  I never expected to enjoy laughing and having fun collaborating with people from behind a screen. I’ve always worked in an office, and believed face-to-face interactions were the best way to accomplish a team’s goal. Then, six weeks into my job at Accenture, we were required to work remotely. This was our daily routine for the next 18 months. To my surprise, it worked out really well. It added a new dynamic to my life and helped me to build relationships with colleagues from all over the world. The future is unwritten. We have the power to write it, every day. In my current role, I’m responsible for bringing the power of sustainability and technology to some of the biggest companies in the world and helping them to have a direct and positive impact on climate change. This involves inspiring our teams and clients on the ‘art of the possible’: helping them to think and act innovatively to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are good for business, planet, and people. I particularly love making purposeful ideas reality through experimentation. We get to ask ourselves ‘how might we do things better?’ and try to take a 360° view on a future that creates positive change. It also gives me great pleasure when we deliver ideas that - through the use of new and emerging technologies - create societal value and have lasting impact Everywhere you go, go with all your heart. Coming from a coastal town, spending time by the ocean is essential to me. I also couldn’t live without chocolate! But in fact, it doesn’t matter where I am or who I am with. I feel grateful for what I have and appreciate life for how it unfolds. Packing up your home, saying goodbye to the people you love to step into the unknown, into a new culture, language, and society, can be exhilarating but extremely frightening. But knowing who you are and creating daily happiness in your life is key to making a home wherever you are, for however long you are there. 

  • Recruitment

    "I never expected to fit in so well and so fast" by Elizabeth Morrison

    After studying Digital Marketing, Christophe Giets switched gears to Data Science & AI at BeCode (*) and completed his training with a Data Analytics internship at Accenture. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and have my own company. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that I can also learn and accomplish a lot at a big company, but that doesn’t mean the entrepreneurship door is closed forever! As a truly challenge-driven person, I thought Accenture would be a great fit for me. My internship experience proved me right. Accenture really supports you in your development as an intern; I was challenged and given plenty of opportunities to learn. This was really important to me. I set myself two goals for 2021. The first was to succeed in my internship and join Accenture as a Functional Analyst (which is done!) and the second was to complete a triathlon (at least half an ironman) without any previous experience, which I have completed with much better results than I have anticipated. I never expected to fit in so well and so fast. Somehow Accenture quickly felt like the right place for me, and I did everything I could to transform my internship into a full-time position. Many people were willing to share their time and experience, to guide and help me when I had questions. Getting meaning out of data gives me pleasure. Everybody is aware of the potential of data to provide business insights. But to access these insights and use them to your advantage, you need Data Analytics, and more specifically Data Visualization with Tableau or PowerBI. Before my internship I saw myself as a very stubborn person, which can be quite negative. But I learned that used properly, persistence can have an impact. For example, during my internship I had to be proactive and come up with solutions for the client based on what I thought would be best for them. This takes a good dose of determination! I want to be part of the “Change” vision of Accenture. If I had the chance, I would drive bigger changes to protect our planet and make people more aware of the environment as a whole. At the moment, we are being conditioned to believe that tiny changes we make (like taking shorter showers) really help, whereas to produce a single hamburger, an incredible amount of water is required (way more than a shower). This virus could be a real game changer for the society. Aside from the bad aspects, I hope it will make people more conscious about what they do. Is it necessary to fly to the other side of the world for a one-hour meeting that you could do online? The pandemic proved we can adapt and do things better. (*) About BeCode: The Belgian coding school, BeCode, wants to bridge the gap between motivated job seekers and the job market by using the shortage of digital skills as a lever for a more inclusive workforce. In 2019, Accenture was the first company to sign an agreement with BeCode, providing 25 BeCodians an internship with a commitment to hire the graduates. In 2021, this strategic partnership has resulted in 24 internships, 11 hires and still 9 ongoing internships.