Be Intellectually Curious

Name: Joo Lee 
Role: Division Vice President, East 
Location: Chicago 
Joined Sogeti: 2012

Before I came to Sogeti, I had worked in the consulting industry for many years, first with a large global company and then with a smaller boutique. Sogeti is a global consulting organization that combines global scale with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. That was—and still is—very appealing to me.

On my first day, after a whirlwind of onboarding activities, I went straight to work for a key client in the Chicagoland area.  I was the Enterprise Architect of a marketing automation platform for one of the largest marketing services organizations in the country. 

On this client, we were asked to assist with a troubled initiative that needed a fresh perspective.  We were able to assemble a global team and deliver on dates that nobody thought were possible with some hard work, creativity, and brilliant engineering.  This account ultimately became the largest in our history due to the commitment of the team. 

This was many years ago but helping to architect and build that platform taught me so much about the era of personalization and user-centered design that we live in today.

I also had the good fortune of being Practice Vice President for our Digital Transformation practice, helping grow the practice and lead it to great success before transitioning into my current role.  The practice management team had such great energy and we had lots of fun, and I’ll always have a lot of fondness for that time as well.

As a Division Vice President (DVP), I spend much less time on project work these days than I would like, but I have been spending a significant amount of time with a Fortune 50 insurance company on some very exciting initiatives.

The best part of being a DVP is that I get to drive both sides of the consulting market – working with our clients to bring them the solutions they need and bringing new people into our company.  It’s a privilege to be able to meet with some of the world’s best brands that are entrusting you to bring thought leadership to some of their most difficult challenges. Sogeti preaches client centricity, and this is something that is central to our core DNA. 

Even more exciting for me is to meet some of the most vibrant and dynamic talent that is entering today’s consulting market. A services organization is only as good as its people and how well they can work with clients to enable success. That is motivation enough for anybody.

For an organization of its size, Sogeti is one of the most entrepreneurial companies in the world.  If anyone in the company is inspired to do anything to make us more successful, they are encouraged to do so.  I’ve had the great privilege of wonderful sponsorship around the globe, and this support has been phenomenal.

Our current CEO, Raj Nath, hired me into the company seven years ago and has been a big supporter of me and my career through Sogeti.  He embodies the spirit of servant leadership, client centricity, and having fun with the people with whom you work and is a great example to us all.

To those of you just beginning your career, the best advice I can offer is to be intellectually curious. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and actively network inside of the greater professional universe. Boldness, tenacity, and inquisitiveness are the keys to success.