Combining client success and personal growth

For his first client assignment, our recent hire Emiel got thrown in at the deep end. Fortunately, he wasn’t left to his own devices, as we teamed him up with a more senior colleague. In this blog, we sat down with him and partner Stefaan Mys.

With his profile as a computer scientist graduate in high demand, Emiel began exploring his career options early while still enrolled at university. “My choice for Addestino was based on their opportunity for progress in combination with established corporate structures and culture,” he notes. “Throughout my interview process, I was impressed by the drive of all these great minds at the organisation.”

 Stefaan chips in: “During our interview process, we try to communicate our values very clearly and explain what our growth mindset entails for fresh graduates. We offer more robust support than typical start-up companies, yet we can afford greater flexibility for shaping an individual career path compared to large consulting firms.”

Instead of easing into his new role, Emiel had to hit the ground running from the start. “I remember my first few days on the job vividly,” he says with a smile. “I had to absorb a lot of information quickly, as I was set to collaborate with Stefaan at one of our long-term clients. Evidently, there was a substantial amount of history and previous work that we would be building upon, and it was my job to catch up swiftly.”

 “We wanted to get Emiel up to speed quickly to do essential conceptual thinking and number-crunching for a telco provider that we have a close working relationship with,” Stefaan elaborates. “The project involved analysing and improving the working methods, roles and responsibilities of team members across the entire B2B sales cycle of our client. With many different and sometimes overlapping profiles, our client’s cost of sales was too high. This prompted us to conduct an objective assessment to address the issue. As they were a trusted client of ours, we were already well-acquainted with their existing pain points and organisational structure.”

 In a tight three-month timeframe, our Addestino team would have to produce actionable deliverables. “Our end goal was to provide a recommendation for redefining our client’s sales cycle and associated roles – something not only practical and easy to implement, but also widely supported across the client’s teams,” Emiel explains. “Initially, my role was to secure the buy-in, approval and support from key stakeholders to middle management and define a plan for reskilling existing team members.”

Every project comes with its own set of challenges, and this one was no exception. “After a few days of putting in some serious prep work and familiarising myself with the project details, I was still struggling to see the bigger picture. That’s when I reached out to Stefaan to get a spot in his calendar,” Emiel says.

 “I was very pleased to see that Emiel didn’t hesitate in approaching me to discuss,” Stefaan adds. “I think this is a testament to the fact that we indeed do live up to our corporate culture that prioritises open communication and collaboration. Once we sat down, Emiel quickly grasped the necessary additional context to dive in straight and start laying the groundwork for our joint assignment.”

 As the project progressed, Emiel took on more responsibilities. “Initially, I was mostly executing Stefaan’s ideas,” he says. “As I became more and more immersed in the project after a few delivery cycles and subsequent presentations, I was able to gradually take on a more proactive role, developing new processes, scenarios and structures for the client.”

As the client case came to a conclusion after three months, Emiel and Stefaan presented the client with a practical transformation plan. Equally important, the case acted as a stepping stone that helped Emiel to shape his own, personal career path. “Consulting is a perfect way to keep exploring my options and chart the course that suits me best,” he explains. “At this point in time, I lean a bit more towards the consulting side of Addestino’s career track compass.”

“At the partner level, we’re always happy to guide our new graduates on their journey,” Stefaan adds. “Each of us in the leadership team has their own coaching style, and working together with new graduates not only helps them grow into their roles, but also challenges our own approach to assignments. This way, everyone on the team continues to learn while solving our clients’ business cases.”